


The World Will Never Be the Same

by MaddieBoBaddie



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Blood and Injury, Dream Smp, F/M, Festival, Major Character Injury, Manberg, Mild Language, Pogtopia, Realistic version of events, Sequel, election, l'manberg
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:28:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 20
Words: 97,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27236530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaddieBoBaddie/pseuds/MaddieBoBaddie
Summary: After winning independence from Essempee, L'Manberg assumes the hardest part is over. With a year of sovereignty under its belt, the new nation has begun to take shape with Wilbur Soot at it's head. All seems well, but conflict bubbles just beneath the surface of a seemingly ordinary election. However, inner turmoil is the least of L'Manberg's concern.No one expected faces from their past to return, ready to do whatever it takes to gain power and control over the inhabitants of the once peaceful state. In an instant the world they knew is shattered, and no one knows who will be left to pick up the broken pieces.~ A sequel to Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Their Stories ~
Relationships: A lot more than I can list honestly, Eret & Niki | Nihachu, Niki | Nihachu/Wilbur Soot, Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, Toby Smith | Tubbo & Wilbur Soot, Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit
Comments: 173
Kudos: 143





	1. What Comes Next?

**Author's Note:**

> ~ Disclaimers ~  
> The events that take place in this retelling of the Manberg versus Pogtopia story arc will differ in some ways from the real events on the SMP. Also, because this arc has so many events in it, I had to narrow it down and simplify the story lines. I purposefully limited which characters the story follows so the plot didn't become muddled. Other members of the SMP may be introduced or mentioned, but not expanded on. Characters may differ slightly from their SMP personas to fit my vision of the story. 
> 
> ~ All characters in this story are based off the personas portrayed in the events of the Dream SMP ~

_Wilbur Soot couldn’t recall the last time he felt any semblance of happiness. The past few months had brought nothing but death and despair. He’d lost so much, more than he ever imagined having to endure. The fact that he had survived this long was a miracle, one he wasn’t entirely sure he was grateful for._

_The only thing holding the sixteen year old together was the tremendous responsibility of keeping the human race alive. Wilbur was one of only a few hundred that had survived the waves of disease and mutation, one of the only people to remain free of the life-altering illness. It was his duty, as one of the oldest among the group of survivors, to stay strong and lead the younger among them. Nevertheless, a part of him wished he wasn’t tasked with such an overwhelming burden._

_Wilbur gripped the hand he was holding tight, pulling the young boy close to his side as he weaved between the people loading carts and mounting horses. He glanced down constantly, making sure the nine year old was still carrying his bag of belongings as they made their way towards the front of the train. All around them the survivors scrambled to finish packing away whatever they could fit onto the wagons. Personal belongings were few and far between; the most crucial things for human survival had to come first. Tools, medicine, food, and books made up the majority of goods. Memories would have to be left behind, that was a luxury they couldn’t afford anymore._

_There wasn’t much time left, if they wanted to get to their destination before nightfall they would need to leave within the next hour at the latest. Wilbur pushed forward, scanning the crowd to find the familiar face he was seeking._

_“Eret!” He called once he caught sight of the teenager tying a tarp over their cart. He perked up as Wilbur approached._

_“Everything here is almost ready to go, how much longer do you think until we head off?” Eret questioned. Wilbur pulled out his pocket watch, flipping it open to see it was nearly four. Time was ticking._

_“Not long. We should be almost ready. I need to go find George, him and I were going to work our way down and make sure everyone else is prepared to leave,” Wilbur replied. He gave a reassuring squeeze to the hand that still held his, slowly passing it off to Eret. “Stay here with Toby, I’ll be back soon. Be safe.”_

_Wilbur mustered one last smile to both of them, though it didn’t do much to help. Tubbo still held a solemn expression, tear stains clear through the thin layer of dirt across his cheeks. Eret helped guide the boy onto the cart, letting him nestle in a flat spot between two crates. If Wilbur was hurting from having to leave everything behind, he couldn’t imagine how Tubbo must feel. He was just a child, he shouldn’t have had to feel so much pain this young. No one should._

_As soon as Wilbur found George, they quickly debriefed and split up to warn everyone that they would be leaving in fifteen minutes. Many of the older teenagers were already dispersed, each taking charge of a cart and directing the younger children on what to do. It would have been an inspiring sight, seeing everyone work together to take care of each other, if the desolation of the situation wasn’t so overpowering._

_Wilbur had reached the end of the wagon train, stopping to help a girl with a baby strapped to her back. Looking down the line he could see most other people were nearly finished. He made quick work of loading up the rest of her supplies, earning a simple thank you. He was just about to make his way back to his party when he heard a familiar voice call out behind him._

_“Wilbur! Wait!.” His heart sank. He should have been more prepared for this, but hearing the deep exclamation made his body seize in despair. The situation was already hard enough, he didn’t need any added grief. Wilbur turned to face his friend, taking a few steps back and putting out a hand as a warning._

_“You can’t come any closer,” Wilbur stated, causing the teenager to stop. He had a backpack on and sack of supplies in tow. The look of dejection across his face pained Wilbur more than he thought possible._

_“Please. Let me come with you – ”_

_“You have a fever. You’re infected.”_

_“I haven’t had any other symptoms though! I don’t have the disease, you know I would be showing other signs by now. Please Wil, you can’t leave me behind!” The desperate cries hurt, and as much as he wanted to give in he knew he couldn’t allow it._

_“We can’t take any risks. I’m so sorry.” He backed away now, trying not to cry. “You can’t come with us. You can’t.”_

_“So you’re going to abandon me? You know I’ll die here. Everyone here is going to die.”_

_“Don’t make this any harder than it already is. You know I don’t want to leave you but there’s nothing either of us can do to change what’s happened.” As Wilbur spoke memories flooded his mind; Childhood secrets and scrapped knees, early mornings racing to school and afternoons spent in trees, preteen crushes and playful fights behind buildings. A lifetime with a person ripped away and torn apart. Soon those memories would be dust in the wake of the pandemic._

_The figure stared despondently at Wilbur, knowing that no attempts would change his mind. He was being abandoned, left in a decaying city to die. Left behind by his closest friends._

_“Just do what you can to survive. I’m so sorry..” Those were the last words Wilbur spoke as he turned to sprint away. He couldn’t bear to look at the friend he was leaving behind. The world wanted to throw one last heart wrenching reminder of everything he was losing. A final taunt as he was forced to abandon his friends and family. All he had left was now loaded onto a wooden cart. His old life would be erased, a mere memory. Loved one’s included._

_He had to run and not look back. It was painful to leave but it was agony to stay. If there was any hope of living through this he had to forget everything. Holding onto the past would only make it harder to accept the future._

_As the survivors disappeared into the wilderness, they gave one final goodbye to their destroyed civilization. Bumpy carts and an ever-growing thicket of trees were all Wilbur could focus on. If he was going to make it, he had to let go of it all, no matter how hard that seemed. This was a new start, a new life. Nothing would be the same._

_But he had to survive. He had to._

“Happy Birthday!”

Dozens of voices cheered out the sentiment as Tommy Innit walked through the doors of the tavern. The now nineteen-year-old made a poor attempt of acting surprised by the crowd of his friends, but the smile that lit up his face was undoubtedly real. Tubbo ran up to give him a hug, partially lifting him off his feet in the process.

“Happy birthday Tommy!” He exclaimed, dragging him into the crowd as other’s gave him well wishes.

“Thanks you guys! You didn’t have to do all this for me!” Tommy’s eyes were lit up with excitement, contradicting the modesty he was attempting to display. He was always happy to be the center of attention. Fundy gave him a pat on the back.

“Trust me, we didn’t want to. It was more of an obligation to our Treasury Secretary,” Wilbur teased, earning a playful shove from the teenager.

“Alright, well when you turn eighty next year don’t expect a party, old man,” he shot back. Wilbur laughed at the jab, ruffling Tommy’s hair and pushing him off to the side.

Conversation soon filled the air, everyone at the party enjoying the treats and the company of each other. As the evening went on Tubbo and a few others got some music going, everyone joining in to dance along. It was a fun filled night, something everyone needed and was happy to partake in. Celebrations weren’t always their priority, so having an excuse to spend a jovial evening with friends was very much welcomed.

It had been a little over a year since L’Manberg had won its independence from Essempee. Even after all that time, Wilbur and the others still spent each day tirelessly working to build up and improve their nation. Wilbur knew it would be challenging to establish L’Manberg as a successful and properly functioning state, but he hadn’t truly been prepared for everything that entailed.

Wilbur was lucky to have the support of his friends at his side. Due to the novelty of the country, the nature of L’Manberg’s government was unofficial in many aspects. Even after it’s formation, he hadn't drafted an official constitution for the nation. In all honesty, there wasn’t a particularly strong need to do so. Wilbur had become the unelected leader directly following the war, and he was quick to put the pieces of their nation back together. He drafted a set of laws that the people would follow, and kept meticulous records of everything that occurred within his government, and that was enough for the time being. At the time the state of L’Manberg’s well-being was a much more pressing issue than the need for formal diplomatic documents, so that task fell to the wayside.

This of course meant that there was no official decree for what responsibilities fell on who, thus it was left up to Wilbur to delegate as he saw fit. He gave titles to his companions to reflect the duties they covered, though they weren’t exclusively governing officials. Due to the small population of L’Manberg, Wilbur and Tommy were the only ones who’s sole jobs were to govern. Fundy still ran his tavern, Niki her bakery, and Tubbo had taken charge of the blacksmith. They were needed just as much on those fronts as they were government officials.

Tommy had been given the title Secretary of the Treasury, though his duties really expanded to include all resource management. Their wasn’t a need for managing the nations wealth, seeing as they barely had any, but Tommy was kept plenty busy with allocating all their other assets. It was almost surprising how comfortably Tommy fell into his position, and how well he did with the responsibilities. It wasn't a shock to anyone that Tommy worked well when he had could control something. Giving him something so crucial made Wilbur nervous at first, but those anxieties quickly disappeared as the months went on. The boy was glad to be a part of something, to be the one calling the shots rather than following them. He was entirely dedicated to doing a good job in his position, and he exceeded expectations. 

Tubbo took up the mantel of Secretary of State, which included both diplomacy and defense. Thankfully there hadn’t been much need for the latter, but he had been the mediator between Essempee and L’Manberg plenty of times. In the year since the conflict, Essempee had actually extended a peaceful hand on a few occasions. Directly following the war Dream had offered supplies and tools to help reconstruct the buildings that were destroyed in the explosions. Later he opened a trade agreement between Essempee and L’Manberg for food and agriculture. However, despite the gestures, Wilbur still remained wary of Dream. He would be civil with their rival, but that didn’t mean they had to be allies. It seemed others were quicker to forget the torment they’d faced at the kings hand, despite how long they had to endure the oppression. Just because they were separated from him now didn’t erase the past.

Fundy was the liaison between the people and Wilbur. He was dubbed the Secretary of Human Services, and his duties entailed exactly what the name implied. Fundy had always been sociable and a people pleaser, so the job seemed like a good fit to Wilbur. He made sure a disconnect didn’t grow between the government and the people, not wanting to reflect the power difference in Essempee.

Niki was never really given an official title, but she didn’t mind. She took on any tasks that didn’t fall under the authority of the others, acting as the jack of all trades in many senses. She was there to help Wilbur with whatever he needed assistance on. Niki appreciated the position, if nothing else it gave her the chance to work alongside Wil. She enjoyed his company, and he needed the calming aura she put off amidst the stress of governing the young nation. Wilbur often joked that he needed Niki more than L’Manberg did.

Together the five made up the governing body of L’Manberg, and had been fairly successful so far. There were plenty of mistakes and pitfalls along the way though, and recently things had been piling up. Wilbur was realizing there was a need for a more formal system to be put in place, and he’d spent plenty of sleepless nights working to keep L’Manberg on it’s feet. In fact, he had plans to meet with Tommy the next evening to start beginning a draft of a formal constitution. It was long overdue. But now wasn’t a time to dwell on politics, they were there to celebrate Tommy’s birthday.

As the evening went on the festivities eventually died down to casual conversation. Tommy had opened his gifts, thankful for the thoughtfulness behind each one. He was currently sporting his new, upgraded version of the classic L’Manberg coat, and fiddling with the ornate knife Tubbo had crafted for him. Several people had already filtered out, leaving a smaller group sat around the table enjoying drinks.

“So can I finally be considered an adult now? I’m nineteen, that’s plenty old,” Tommy questioned.

“Nineteen still ends in the word ‘teen’ doesn’t it?” Fundy pointed out.

“Well that all depends on how you’re looking at the semantics of the word,” Tubbo brought up, earning a confused look from Tommy.

“Tubbo, now’s not the time to use big words, I’m trying to win a debate,” Tommy waved him off with a hand.

“I’m literally helping you,” Tubbo rolled his eyes with a laugh.

“I think you can be considered an adult if you want to be Tommy,” Niki chirped, but Wilbur immediately shook his head in disagreement.

“You’re still a teenager. Fundy’s right, it’s in the word.”

“No, no. I’ve got Niki on my side, I win.”

“Well answer this, do you think Tubbo’s an adult?” Wilbur prodded. Tommy furrowed his brow and gave his best friend a quick glance.

“Mm.. not really..” He hesitated in his answer, but the words slipped out before he realized what he’d admitted.

“Well Tubbo’s older than you, so if he’s not an adult than neither are you.” Wilbur’s statement sent Tubbo into a giggling fit as Tommy tried to backtrack, but the group had already accepted the reasoning. Regardless, it was hard for them to see the two boys as grown up. It seemed like only yesterday they were twelve, running around and causing mischief without a care in the world.

Still, Wilbur realized they had outgrown that phase of life. They may have been young, but he had to remember he was around their age when Essempee was first built. This was a world where you grew up faster than you should have to. Tommy was only eighteen when he was given the duties of governing a nation, after all. Even under the wing of Wilbur, he was holding more responsibilities than any other person his age.

Wilbur sat back, scooting close to Niki and letting her rest against the arm he’d draped over her chair. He watched silently as his friends continued to cherish the remaining hours of the evening, just happy to be in their company. Tommy was undeniably a light for L’Manberg, evident by the amount of people who considered him a close friend. Wil was just glad to see Tommy thriving. After everything the boy had been through, he deserved a happily ever after. It seemed like they found that at last.

He didn’t think anything could take that away. They'd fought hard to find a life they could enjoy living, and no one planned on giving that up any time soon. Wilbur told himself he would do whatever it took to ensure that Tommy and everyone else in L’Manberg would get the ending they deserved.


	2. It's Much Harder When It's All Your Call

Most mornings you would find Wilbur Soot set up in Niki’s bakery, knee deep in paperwork. Despite his newly constructed home functioning as his office, he rarely utilized the space. He much preferred the extra company, not to mention the warmth the ovens emitted and the sweet smells of breads and cakes. They didn’t often talk with each other, too focused on their tasks. It was a stark contrast to working with Tommy, he never seemed to stop mumbling to himself or attempting to spark irrelevant conversations. Niki had a habit of humming to herself as she went about kneading dough and decorating goodies, which Wilbur liked. 

Today was no different to any other day. Wilbur sat in the middle of the kitchen, occupying a small section of Niki’s counter with his work. He was zoned into revising a draft of an amendment for their latest trade agreement with Essempee, barely noticing the hurried movements the girl made around him. Several bowls of batter were strewn about, along with a flurry of ingredients. She worked meticulously, tasting each one and tweaking it as needed. She wanted to take advantage of the influx of pumpkins from their fall harvest and perfect a new pumpkin loaf recipe. Several loaves were already baked and cooling down.

“Would you mind taste testing a few things for me? I know you’re busy, but I need a second opinion. I think my taste buds have been fried from all the cinnamon,” Niki asked as she sliced into the bread. Wilbur let out a fake annoyed sigh as he pushed the papers away.

“Well, if you _really_ need me to, I’ll spare some time from my busy schedule,” He said with sarcasm lacing his tone. Niki shot him a snarky smile. 

“Be completely honest, I want the hard truth.” She placed several different slices in front of him, he tried them all and gave feedback accordingly. Niki listened intently, tasting the pieces along with him and jotting down notes. Wilbur couldn’t help but smile at her intense concentration, the way her lips pursed and she tapped the pencil against her chin. She was enrapturing without trying to be. 

“Could you possibly be making more of a mess,” Niki laughed as she brushed the crumbs from the side of Wilbur’s mouth, thumb gently touching his bottom lip in the process. Almost instinctively he placed his hand on hers, holding it against his cheek. Niki gave a heart-melting smile, rubbing his face ever so gently before pulling her hand back to her side.

The relationship between the two was ambivalent, to say the least. Even after the war ended and the waters had calmed, neither spoke about the first kiss they shared. They hadn’t disclosed any feelings they had for each other, despite them both clearly wanting more than a friendship. There hadn’t really been any discussion of the nature of their relationship. Regardless, there was still an unspoken bond; they settled in somewhere between the lines of friends and lovers. Wilbur and Niki seemed comfortable where they were though, neither necessarily looking to put a label on what they were. It was nice having the ability to be more intimate in private without having the public eye on their undefined relationship, so that’s where they remained for the time being. 

The two stayed in each other's company until noon, an hour before Wilbur’s meeting with Tommy. He gathered his things, gave her a hug goodbye, and went off to make his routine walk around their walls. Perhaps it was an old habit, a lingering uneasiness still remaining from the days of the war, but Wilbur liked to know that everything was secure. He tried to make it a daily occurrence, it was also nice to have a break from his work. He spent so many hours focused on L’Manberg, he often forgot to take time for himself. Being in the brisk autumn air helped center the president.

The walls that encompassed the nation had changed drastically from what they once were. With more time and resources at their disposal, L’Manberg made the effort to build them up sturdier and taller, matching those around Essempee. The dark stone gave him comfort, knowing his people were safe within them. 

Not only were the walls improved, but the structures within as well. With the materials donated to them from Essempee, they were able to build better homes and shops than before. Though the explosions were devastating, they did bring a silver lining in the opportunity for growth. The people came together to help those whose homes and businesses were destroyed, and in a matter of months L’Manberg looked better than it ever had. The greatest addition, Wilbur thought, was the flag that stood tall in the center of town. Niki had spent days creating the design and stitching it together, the final product was a symbol of their nation that encompassed it’s values and history. It truly made L’Manberg complete. 

Tommy was already waiting in their shared office space by the time Wilbur made it back to his home. The boy was eager, sometimes too eager, when it came to governing duties. The energy he had was eternal. As much as Wilbur appreciated the enthusiasm, it could give him a headache.

“Alright, where do we start?” The question was thrown at Wilbur before he could even set his bag down. The president didn’t reply, chuckling as he sat down behind the large desk. Tommy pulled up a chair in front of him.

“We’re just writing drafts for now, this is going to be a long process. Just warning you.” Wilbur pulled out his quill and papers, setting the fresh sheet of paper in front of him. There was so much that needed to be included in the constitution, his brain seemed to overflow with the words needing to be transcribed.

“Where are the others?” Tommy checked the door as though someone would walk in on cue. 

“No one else is coming today, it’s just you and me,” Wilbur stated while jotting down a brief list of necessary articles for the document.

“Really? Usually important matters like this are handled by the whole group,” Tommy noted. Wilbur shifted in his seat, trying to figure out the best way to relay his reasoning to Tommy.

“Yes, well in this case I think it’s best if we make these decide on our own. Too many people giving ideas would make this overly complicated.”

“So we’re the only ones who get to have a say in the constitution?”

“No, after we finish our draft the others can look it over and give suggestions. I just think it’s best that we be the ones who lay out the groundwork.” Wilbur looked up from his writing, showing Tommy the serious expression he held. “I wouldn’t want this to be shared past this conversation, but.. You and I know what’s best. The others have done great with their duties, but really, the two of us are the ones in charge. We’ll do what’s best for L’Manberg, ultimately we have the final say.”

Tommy nodded along, understanding to some degree. He still felt slightly guilty for excluding the others, but he trusted Wilbur’s reasoning. “Yeah, makes sense.”

So they set off to work. It took them a few hours to even begin to formulate the elements of each article. They had to make sure to have an all-encompassing document, one that stood for what they believed and upheld for their country. Some things came easier than others. Seeing as the laws of the land were already established, those were easiest to integrate. The judiciary processes weren’t all too challenging either, they had already created a system to ensure fair trials for those being persecuted. All there was to do was put it into official writing. The hardest aspects had to do with distribution of power, and deciding on who would be put in those powers. It was time for a concrete system, one that could be passed down and utilized after Wilbur and the others were gone, whenever that may be. 

This was where Wilbur fully realized the predicament the constitution would inevitably unearth. In the back of his mind he had thought about the fact that the document would need to lay out how a leader would be elected, but he hadn’t stopped to think about how that would affect him. He hadn’t been formally placed in his position, neither had Tommy or anyone else. As the question grew on his mind, and so did a plan.

“Tommy.” The name broke the flow of diplomatic conversation. The right hand man looked up to his president, recognizing the plotting cadence of his voice.

“Yeah? What’s up?” Tommy could already tell something was about to happen, and based off the topic of electing officials, he had an idea of what was about to follow.

“Before we publish this constitution, we need to solidify our position of power.” He looked at Wilbur, confused gaze indicating a need for further explanation. “We need to create a procedure for electing officials, right? The problem is, we weren’t elected in the first place. Technically speaking, we don’t have the power to create these systems, aside from the power we’ve bestowed upon ourselves.”

“Well.. L’Manberg does want us to be in charge. We’re not dictators like Dream.”

“That’s not what I’m saying. The people wanted us to be in charge, but that was more of a byproduct of the fact that we fought in the war. There wasn’t any other candidate to take our place.”

“What are you saying Wil?”

“I’m saying we hold an election.”

Tommy took in the idea, nodding and increasingly growing excited about the prospect.

“Here’s the thing Tommy, no one’s going to run against us,” Wilbur continued, already reaching for new papers to begin writing on, “Think about it. We’re war heroes, we’ve done nothing but bring good to L’Manberg, and we’ve proven ourselves worthy of power already. Even if someone does decide to oppose us, we’ll surely have the votes on our side.”

“We get to keep our positions, and the people feel like they had a say in who’s in power,” Tommy reiterated, earning a nod from Wilbur.

“Here’s what we do: We write-up the details of the election, all the technicalities and requirements, and what powers are given to the elected leaders. That way, when we’re voted into office we can simply include the process in the constitution and publish the document. We all get what we want. The people have a voice and we secure our power.”

“So.. do we tell people then? About the election?” Tommy asked.

“Not yet. Once we have all the details, we’ll release the official announcement. For now, keep this between us. We don’t want a big fuss about this, it’ll be a quick and simple election. No more than a month from now, I say.”

Tommy nodded in agreement, and the two spent the remainder of the evening writing up the official electoral process. They didn’t stop until they were finished, and the first draft of their plan was completed. Everything was falling into place, the last few pieces needed to solidify L’Manberg as a real nation. Once the election concluded, everything would move forward smoothly. It was only a matter of time now.

Tubbo tapped his foot impatiently against the bar stool, checking the clock every few minutes. Tommy was never late meeting up with him, so where was he?

Fundy watched from behind the counter, trying to make himself busy on the slow week night. Most of the evening had been spent making conversation with the teen, he’d been there for almost an hour now. He liked having the company, but the ever growing absence of the Treasury Secretary only increased the discontentment that he’d been feeling for the past few months. Fundy knew exactly where Tommy was, and it made him upset that they weren’t there as well.

It was understandable, to some degree, that Wilbur and Tommy would meet without the rest of the cabinet. After all, they were the ones who were in charge, so to speak. It was their sole duty. Regardless, Fundy couldn’t help but feel like Wilbur was underestimating the abilities of the rest of his governing party. 

Even after an entire year, Fundy felt like he wasn’t given enough responsibilities over L’Manberg. His job consisted of meeting with Wil and Tommy once a week to give a report on behalf of the citizens, and that was about it. He knew full well many other important decisions were being made behind the scenes, ones he had no hand in. He wasn’t entitled to those processes, but after everything he’d done for their nation, he felt like he deserved it. There seemed to be an ever growing patronization from their president, especially directed towards Fundy. He rarely felt he held any authority. Even Tubbo seemed to have more power - he was the diplomatic ambassador to Essempee - and he was four years younger than Fundy. 

It was something he tried not to dwell on, but he couldn’t help it. Especially recently, he felt like Wilbur was cutting off the rest of the cabinet and working with Tommy alone. It was feeling dangerously similar to the path Dream had taken.

Finally Tommy burst through the front doors, jogging up to Tubbo with almost too much energy.

“Hey, sorry Big T. Meeting with Wil went longer than I expected.” He had a smile on his face as he spoke, bouncing into his seat and signaling for a drink from Fundy. Ever since he’d been allowed to drink he took full advantage of it, the bartender rolled his eyes and slid him a cider. Tubbo was content with his water.

“It’s okay, Fundy kept me company,” Tubbo replied, though there was a hint of annoyance in his voice. “What did you wanna do tonight?” 

“Mm, don’t know. It’s getting too dark to do anything outside.” Tubbo nodded with a sigh, standing to grab a chess board from a nearby table.

“Best of three, loser has to jump in the lake?” Tubbo offered with a gesture. 

“You're only suggesting that because you know you’ll beat me,” Tommy shook his head.

“Oh, so you’re admitting that I’m smarter than you?”

Tommy scrunched up his face, knowing full well that Tubbo was goading him, but falling for it anyway. “You’re going down bitch.”

The first game was close, but Tubbo barely managed to checkmate his friend. An annoyed grumble about cheating, and they reset the board. Tommy decided the best way to win this round would be to distract Tubbo, denying him the silence to think. He rambled on about the most random topics his mind could come up with, not particularly paying attention to what he was saying. He'd carried on like that the entire game, spewing nonsense about the color of all his shirts, ways to cook pork, the number of bugs he'd seen outside the deli shop, and everything in between. They eventually reached a pivotal point in the game, Tommy having the upper hand. 

“Don’t you wonder what it’s like to be a cow? That would suck, getting milked all day, eating nothing but grass. I’d much rather be a bird. Some of them can talk, you know," Tommy never left a moment of silence.

“For the love of.. Would you shut up?” Tubbo muttered as he made a move he soon realized was rather stupid.

“What about democracy? Hm? You ever think of political systems?” Tommy was making his own play now, his concentration on his action causing him to spew out his subconscious thoughts rather than another random topic. “You’d vote for me, wouldn’t you Tubbo?”

His friend gave him a questioning look, pausing with an intrigued expression. “Vote for you? What are you on about?”

Tommy halted, suddenly realizing what he’d said. He was worried for a moment, but figured it was just Tubbo and Fundy, they could know about the plan.

“Oh, um, me and Wil have been talking about an election is all.” That got Fundy’s attention, he quickly tuned into the ramblings he’d been blocking out.

“An election? You two are already in charge though,” Tubbo commented.

“Yeah, but we weren’t really elected. Wilbur said it would be best if we were officially in charge before we signed the constitution.”

“Wait - constitution? Have you already drafted one?” Fundy jumped in with the question, irritation behind his voice. Suddenly Tommy became all too uncomfortable, shifting around as he formulated an answer.

“Well.. sort of.. not yet. It’s the boring stuff, really.” Still Fundy didn’t look too happy about the new information. Tubbo was a bit put off as well. “Look, it wasn’t anything big. We were planning on having you help, it’s just.. Wilbur figured it would be best if.. Just to start, if the two of us made the first draft.”

“Was he going to tell us about the fact that you're holding an election? Or was that insider information too,” Fundy remarked. Tommy stuttered out an answer, trying to quell the situation.

“Of course! It’s all just.. In the planning process. Nothing set in stone yet.”

Fundy turned to head to the back room, needing the space to cool down from the anger building inside him. He muttered to himself as he did. “Sure, don’t include your cabinet in the _planning process_. That’s not their job, is it.”

Tommy’s shoulders sank, and he knew he’d messed up. He turned to Tubbo, hoping his friend would show a little more grace. He didn’t look mad, more sad than anything else. 

“Sorry. This all just happened today, I never meant to exclude you guys. We were going to tell you, that’s not a lie.”

“It’s fine.. I think Fundy’s just upset because he’s been feeling left out. You and Wilbur seem to do a lot on your own.”

“Well yeah, that’s our job!” Tommy retorted.

“I know that. I meant that recently you two have been making decisions we should be making _together_.”

Tommy stopped and thought about that. Technically, there were no official rules that the whole cabinet had to collaborate on all decision making. That was what the constitution was meant to lay out, which is why they were drafting it now. 

A sudden thought sprung into Tommy’s mind; he wondered if Wilbur hadn’t wanted the others there, because he didn’t want to give them say in what degree of authority they had. The constitution would lay out what powers were bestowed on what positions, it would be in the best interests of the cabinet members to push for more responsibilities. With everyone in one room, fighting to get more governing power, it could quickly turn into a hostile process. Now Tommy felt even more foolish for letting things slide. 

“I think I should go, I’ll talk with Wilbur tomorrow about all this. See you later Tubbo.” He hurriedly grabbed his coat and gave his friend a wave before rushing out the door. Tubbo tried to call after him, but his words fell on deaf ears. He sighed, slumping back in his chair.

Fundy emerged once he heard Tommy leave, a pensive stare aimed at the now empty chair. Tubbo gave a helpless look as he cleaned up the chess board and stowed it away. 

“This whole thing seems off. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say this election was a scam,” Fundy said, almost to himself. 

“We’ll talk with Wilbur about it tomorrow.”

Fundy didn’t move, he just waved Tubbo goodbye and went to begin his closing tasks.

“Sure. We’ll see.”


	3. Never Be Satisfied

_The campfire was burning low, turning to glowing embers amidst the darkened world. Someone from the group haphazardly threw a log onto the pile. The smoke wouldn’t be all too visible through the night sky, not that they were particularly concerned with anyone that might stumble across their temporary campsite._

_At the head of the group their leader sat, silent and pensive as always. It had been nearly two months since they’d been on the move. Nowhere was home anymore, there was nowhere to go. Most people were dead, and if they were alive they were an enemy. That was the way things were now. It was kill or be killed, every man for himself, whatever cliché best fit the twisted world they found themselves wandering through._

_The teen sat staring at the fire, ignoring the mumblings of conversation around him. Even after all this time he still couldn’t bring himself to create a bond with the people in his group. The feeling of abandonment hung heavy in his heart. After watching Wilbur turn and leave, not giving him a second glance, he couldn't imagine becoming close to another person._

_Anger and sadness mixed into an emotion he couldn’t navigate. As much as he wanted to reunite with his old friends, an even stronger desire was calling him to destroy whatever they’d made. They were so unwilling to give him a chance, so quick to leave him behind in the decaying city, they didn’t deserve his mercy. Whether intentional or not, he had disowned them the moment they abandoned him._

_Abandoned. That was the word that had reverberated in his mind for months. It was the only thing he could identify with at this point. He was abandoned, here with a group of men who were also left to die. That was what pulled them together, a mutual need to survive. There was strength in numbers, and they’d made an unspoken agreement not to kill each other. It was too valuable to remain together to betray one another yet._

_The sound of a twig snapping brought the group’s attention to a figure slowly emerging from the distant tree line. The open plain lent itself to visibility. Everyone could see the glint of the sword in the strangers hand._

_One of the men immediately jumped to his feet, drawing his own weapon and readying it. The others stood too, all except the abandoned survivor. He remained, watching, waiting. The figure approached, recognition sunk in, and soon the stranger became all too familiar._

_The abandoned survivor rose slowly, reaching out to stop the actions of his associate._

_“Alex. Lower the sword.” He did, stepping back to let their leader move towards the familiar stranger. “Don’t come closer. You can turn and leave now, we won’t follow you.”_

_The familiar stranger may have been alone, but that didn’t mean he was an easy opponent. Even outnumbered, he could hold his own in an attack._

_“I’m not here to fight. I’m here for information.” The abandoned survivor hesitated, trying to read the expression of the opponent in the faint light of the moon._

_“We aren’t exactly the most knowledgeable,” he finally replied. The familiar stranger didn’t move forward, yet his presence still seemed to become more imposing._

_“All I need to know is where other groups are stationed.”_

_“To avoid them or seek them out?”_

_The familiar stranger paused, no sign of emotion on his face. “Does that matter?”_

_“It’s nice to know what kind of people we’re sharing a world with.” The abandoned survivor stared down the familiar stranger, neither moving for a few tense moments._

_“I’m not going to come after you. I don’t hurt people I once knew unless they give me a reason too.” He didn’t doubt that the words of the familiar stranger were true. The abandoned survivor debated over whether or not to divulge the information he had. He knew the stranger used to know Wilbur, and he also knew they'd had a falling out years prior. It was unclear if Wilbur was on the familiar stranger's list of people deserving to be hurt._

_“About ten miles east of here, there’s a group of survivors. Around 200 of them. That’s all I know for sure, any other factions move too often to keep tabs on them,” he finally stated._

_“That group, they’re the ones from the old Essempee?”_

_“Yes.”_

_The familiar stranger nodded, taking a few steps backwards. He gave one final message to the abandoned survivor before disappearing once more. “I don’t have a reason to oppose you, I want to keep it that way. You’re built to survive this shit, but so am I. Stay on my good side, and I think we can benefit from a mutual agreement not to kill each other.”_

_As soon as he appeared he was gone, leaving the group disconcerted at the strange interaction. The abandoned survivor wasn’t left unnerved though. He knew full well how their story would play out, and he knew they were both looking for the same thing. Despite not being in contact for years, there was one common thread that brought the two men together._

_Wilbur Soot._

The situation regarding the election had been slowly creating hostility amongst the cabinet members. A full day had passed without any word from Wilbur or Tommy, though the two had met in private to discuss the best way to resolve the issues. Wilbur wasn’t happy with Tommy’s loose lips, but he couldn’t take it back now. They decided that they’d announce the election the following afternoon, hoping the transparency would ease the tensions. Luckily Fundy hadn’t told anyone about the information Tommy spilled, the only ones who knew about it were the cabinet members. Wilbur had told Niki the morning after the incident, not wanting her to hear it from their irate friend. She seemed supportive, though it was clear she too was a bit disappointed that they had started the process without the full governing body.

Tommy and Wilbur worked diligently to finalize all the documentation and necessary aspects of the election. They’d drafted a ballot with their names, Wilbur running for president and Tommy as vice president. They were the only one’s listed, and they intended to keep it that way. Of course, they couldn’t stop anyone else from running if they met the laid out requirements for candidates, but they hoped no one else would step up.

That day Tommy had put up posters announcing a town gathering for the following afternoon. Fundy noticed the boy moving past his tavern’s window, and went out to try and confront him. By the time he made it out Tommy was gone though, and all that remained was the announcement tacked to his front door. Fundy didn’t feel any better, regardless of the fact that he knew the meeting would be to inform the people of the democratic process. It wasn’t good enough for him. Fundy saw it as a hasty attempt to fix the error they made, not as an earnest connection to the people. If they were truly sorry, they would have gone to the cabinet directly. Yet he hadn’t heard a peep from his leader. It all felt backhanded, and he wasn’t going to take it any longer. If they wanted an election, so be it.

It didn't take much for Fundy to come to the conclusion that he wasn’t going to let Tommy and Wilbur run unopposed. He knew he could do just as much good as they could, if not more. Fundy was worried about the way Wilbur had been acting recently. There were no checks in place to limit the power he had, and that was a recipe for disaster.

As Fundy made his way out of his tavern that evening, his mind flashed to the moment he’d shared with Wilbur when the war had just started. He could recall his words exactly, the promise he’d asked of him.

_‘Promise me that if I ever turn into Dream, you put me in my place. Do whatever it takes to shake some sense into me.’_

Fundy had agreed to it. At the time he never thought it would come to that, but now he was suddenly faced with the realization that power was changing Wilbur. He knew Wil wouldn’t listen to his words though. It was clear he was operating on his own, no input from his most trusted confidants. No, if Fundy was going to keep his promise, he had to take more drastic measures. He had to show Wilbur that he wasn’t the only one willing to step up to the challenge of leading L’Manberg.

All Fundy needed was a running mate, and he knew exactly who he wanted at his side.

It was surprising how quickly Eret had fallen into complacency in Essempee. He wouldn’t say he was happy where he was, but he also wasn’t miserable. He’d found friends among the citizens of the once-rival city, and his blacksmith was doing well. Dream had fulfilled all his promises; he’d exclusively purchased metalwork from Eret, he’d set him up with a nice home, and given him safety within their country. Everything he had there was enough, and that was all he could ask for.

Of course, there was anger and backlash from Eret against Dream immediately following the war. After the deal Dream made, the promise of not harming anyone, he still blew up the city and nearly killed Tommy. Even more, he ended up granting L’Manberg freedom, practically negating the deal they’d settled on. He’d betrayed his friends only for Dream to change his mind and surrender anyway. It seemed worthless, like he’d thrown it all away for nothing. At the same time though, he knew that if he hadn’t taken action when he did, the battling may have gone on much longer. Regardless of what happened, they were alive, and that was what mattered. At the end of the day Eret knew he couldn’t hold onto past resentments. That would only make his situation worse than it already was.

Surprisingly, he’d actually come to consider Dream, George, and Sapnap his friends. A different side of the trio soon came out. Being around them in settings that weren’t hostile soon proved they were as normal as anyone else. They were nice and welcoming, they joked and shared normal conversation. Eret hadn’t had those interactions with them in seven years, it was crazy how separation and vilification could make a person forget the humanity of an old friend. He felt foolish for putting them in a box, seeing them as tyrants when they’d started off as allies before any sort of conflict took place. Eret only wished he could have seen that sooner. Maybe if they'd came together to talk there wouldn’t have had to been a war. He could still be with his friends in L'Manberg.

Eret missed them more than he imagined he would. Due to the law barring anyone from opposing nations to enter the other, he had only seen his ex-friends on a few occasions. Wilbur and Tommy still displayed outward hatred towards him, which was understandable, but hurt nonetheless. Wilbur seemed to be the instigator, Tommy following in his footsteps. He knew the teen was impressionable, he’d follow his president to the ends of the earth. The others held similar discontentment towards him. All but Niki. He’d seen her twice since the betrayal. She hadn’t been there to witness it first hand, and he couldn’t bring himself to imagine how she’d reacted to the news. That was what hurt him most, if he was being honest with himself. His relationship with Niki had always been one he cherished due to the realness of it. She was there for him when he needed support, she had such a kind soul. That was still evident when they’d come face to face; she always looked so defeated. She’d never spoken a word to him, but the looks she gave broke his heart. It was the truest form of sadness he’d witnessed, one of a woman who had lost a dear friend without the chance to say goodbye. If he had the ability to speak with anyone, try and move past their issues, it would undoubtedly be Niki. She would listen, she might understand. But that opportunity never presented itself, and he doubted it would anytime soon.

Eret had resolved that he wouldn’t have his old life back. At this point he’d had his world torn apart so many times that it was almost routine. There was a numbness to it, the only way to deflect any negative emotions was to not feel at all. He woke up in the morning, did his work, moved through the day, and started over. Maybe one day he could find happiness again, but without his friends and his country, he didn’t see that happening anytime soon.

The morning before the announcement Wilbur was at Niki’s bakery like always, only this time both of them were teeming with anxiety. Neither could focus on their tasks. There was silence between them, but not their usual comfortable silence. It was the type of atmosphere that hung between two people with something to say but no words to say it. Niki was the first to speak, needing to get the confession off her chest.

“Fundy asked me to be his running mate in the election.”

The exclamation caught Wilbur off guard, and he looked at her with shocked eyes. Normally the girl wasn’t so blunt when she spoke, so the outburst sent his mind reeling with the new information.

“What.. what do you mean?”

Niki let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding in. “Last night Fundy told me he wanted to run against you in the election. He asked me to be his vice president. I didn’t say yes yet. I wanted to ask you first.”

Wilbur stared forward, not sure how to feel. He was honestly surprised that Fundy had wanted to be a part of the election. He knew he was upset, but he never thought he’d try and run for president. Wilbur never saw him as a leader, he was always a supporter.

“Wil?”

“Why is he running?” The question came out more aggressive than he meant, startling the girl slightly.

“He didn’t say why specifically, just that he felt he could do well as a leader.” Wilbur nodded, his face softening as he realized the intensity of his demeanor.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to come across like I was upset with you,” he apologized. She nodded, carefully choosing her next words.

“I know things have been tense between you and Fundy, and I know this seems like he’s just running to remove you from power. I can’t say for sure those aren’t his motives, but I do know he wants the best for L’Manberg.”

Wilbur moved so he was standing in front of her, taking her hand gently in his.

“I know. Fundy is good at heart, he’d do great as president. I wouldn’t blame him if he was running out of spite either, I sort of deserve it. I’ve been making a lot of mistakes. I want to blame it on the stress or the demands of the job, but I feel like that would be an excuse."

“You should speak with him before you make the announcement. He’s feeling cut off from you,” Niki said. Wilbur nodded, but didn’t agree entirely.

“He may not want to have a conversation at this point. I think he’s made up his mind.”

Niki fidgeted, removing her hand from his and nervously brushing a piece of fuzz from his sleeve.

“Are you going to let him run?” She didn’t make eye contact as she asked.

“I can’t stop him,” He admitted, “He has every right to.”

“Are you going to let me?”

Wilbur stilled, Niki finally met his gaze. He felt guilt course through him. She was asking for his permission, as though he would try and control her. Is that what she thought of him? That he would be domineering enough to forbid her from making a decision as significant as this?

“Niki, you don’t need my consent to run. You’re in charge of your actions, regardless of your connection with me.”

“I just thought - I don’t want to oppose you -”

“Hey,” He placed a hand to her cheek, sincerity lacing his voice, “L’Manberg would be lucky to have you at it’s head. You’re wonderful Niki, in every sense of the word. It blows me away just how amazing you are. Run alongside Fundy. It doesn’t matter who wins, any outcome from this election will mean great things for our country.”

She nodded, a smiling lighting up her face. She didn’t really care about who won or who was in charge, she just wanted everyone to work together. Her heart was happy knowing Wilbur felt the same.

“Thank you Wil. I do think you’ll win though, regardless of who runs against you.”

He smiled and nodded with a slight head tilt. “We’ll have to see, won’t we.”

Niki grabbed the collar of Wilbur’s coat, bringing him down to place a hesitant kiss on his lips and quickly pulling away. He melted against her, wishing the contact lasted longer than it had.

“Just promise me, from here on out we do this as a team. All five of us,” she requested.

“I think I’ve learned rather quickly that this way of handling important matters doesn’t work.” Wilbur pulled his watch from his coat pocket. The chain that Niki had attached to it still remained from when she’d worn it around her neck. Each time he saw it, his heart lifted. He flipped it open, seeing they were getting close to noon.

“Just try and speak with Fundy. It would go a long way.” Wil nodded, honestly agreeing to give it a shot. This would turn ugly if his cabinet member was going to hold a grudge against him.

“Come on, we should get ready to announce the election.”

The world seemed quiet as Wilbur and Tommy stood in front of the people of L’Manberg. There was an intrigue amongst the crowd, quiet murmurs that only heightened the anxiety between the two. This could change everything. This was monumental.

Behind him stood his cabinet members, and as much as he wished their presence would bring comfort, they didn’t. Niki may have been giving him an encouraging smile, but Tubbo was acting unsure of the situation and Fundy simply didn’t look at him. Before the announcement Wilbur had pulled him aside, told him he knew about his plan to run and that he was glad to have opposition. Fundy barely gave a nod, saying he was ready to do what he had to for his nation, and walked off. Wilbur didn’t even have a chance to apologize for his prior actions.

Nevertheless, they stood now on the wooden stage in the center of town. Wilbur looked out upon his people, their population had grown over the last year. Several new citizens were accepted from Essempee, raising their numbers to eighty now. That wasn’t all that many, yet it still felt like the entire world had it’s eyes on the president. It was time to announce the election.

“Hello. Thank you all for coming today. We have an important announcement to make,” He started. Tommy gave him a reassuring nod, one he caught out of his peripheral vision, “It’s been over a year since L’Manberg gained independence, and each day has been spent bettering our nation.”

A small echo of cheers rang out. Wilbur carried on.

“My cabinet and I have been working hard to ensure our nation doesn’t follow the same path as Essempee. We believe in equality, in liberty, and we want our people to have a voice. Now, you’ve been gracious enough to bestow the responsibility of governing to me, and for that I am incredibly grateful. However, I wasn’t placed here democratically. It’s time that we create a system which gives you the power to chose who you want as your leader. In two weeks’ time, on September 21st, we will be holding an election for the Presidency of L’Manberg.”

At those words, the crows went alight with excitement. Never had the people lived in a society with this sort of democratic process, both the old and new Essempee were monarchies of sorts. This was the first time they were given the chance to choose their leader.

“Today we will announce the candidates, and in seven days we will hold a debate between them. We will be explaining our stances, our values, and our plans for the future.” He motioned towards Tommy to step closer to him. “I will be running with Tommy as my vice president.”

Fundy stepped forward, Niki shortly behind. Wilbur’s heart raced ever so slightly. “Also running will be Fundy as president, with Niki as his vice president.”

The two stepped up to be even with Wilbur and Tommy. He tried to give a friendly glance, but Fundy didn’t even look over to them.

“We will be closing the ballot today. There is no constraint on who can run, so long as they are a citizen of L’Manberg, and they are over the age of 18. Anyone else who wishes to run may speak now, or submit their names by sunset.”

A calmness swept over, none of the onlookers moved. It wasn’t surprising to Wilbur, but he was relieved to see that it would just be between the four of them. No matter what, the power would remain with his closest friends.

Wilbur was about to say his final message, when sudden gasps erupted from the crowd. The mass of people began to split down the middle as two people made their way down to the stage. All five governing members strained to see who was stepping up, curious who else would try and run against four established leaders.

When the faces finally came into view, Wilbur felt sick. It couldn’t be. How, after all these years, could this man be standing in front of him?

The deep voice rang out loud and clear. Behind the seemingly friendly tone was a sinister and unforgiving hatred, one that had built up for ten long years.

“Wilbur Soot. Long time no see, old friend.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to leave a quick note at the end to thank everyone for being so receptive of this sequel! Only two chapters in and I already received so much positivity.
> 
> With that, I want to acknowledge the slowness of updates. I know I don't technically owe anyone speedy uploads, but I do know how it feels to wait on the author to finish a story I'm invested in. I want to provide the best content for you as fast as I can. I don't want to rush through and push out chapters I'm not happy with, but I also don't want to go a week without uploading.  
> Currently I am student teaching in a fifth grade classroom while also being a full-time college student. With the intensity of my program and the stress of distance learning (both being a student and teacher) it's very time consuming. I do love writing this story, it's an escape for me, but I don't have as much time to write as I'd like. I'm sure no one was feeling upset by slow updates, but this was mainly for me to be transparent. Thanks again to everyone who's been so supportive, I can't wait to share the rest of this story with you!


	4. Diametrically Opposed

“Schlatt..”

Shock wasn’t enough to describe the intensity of what Wilbur felt. He was staring at a man he assumed to be dead long ago, one he hadn’t seen in a decade. The last piece of his old life.

He was terrified. He could see the animosity in Schlatt's eyes. The close-lipped smile that took over his face did nothing to hide the deep seeded anger.

Several other faces from the crowd began to twist in realization. Recognition swept through the people in a steady wave. No one moved though, no one knew what was going to happen. Why had Schlatt shown up now, and what did he want?

“I thought you were dead.” It was the only thing Wilbur could think to say. Schlatt chuckled and stepped closer, looking up to the stage.

“I know you did. But, here I am,” He said, gesturing to himself, “After all these years, I thought I’d drop in and see how my dear old friends were doing. Seems like you’ve been up to quite a bit.”

Tommy inched closer to Wilbur, eyeing him for some kind of instruction. His hand was just barely shaking, ready to reach for his weapon. The teen knew enough about the man to understand that he was unpredictable. He was powerful and he got what he wanted.

“If you’re here to talk, let’s talk. I’ll meet with you and we can discuss whatever it is you wanted to say to me. But we’re –”

“You’re in the middle of something important. I know.” Schlatt took a few large steps and jumped onto the stage, his sidekick close behind. The five officials backed away, each one ready to defend themselves. “This whole charade, Wilbur, _is_ the reason why I’m here.”

Schlatt turned to face the crowd of L’Manberg, scanning the distantly familiar faces among it. His old neighbors and friends, the people who left him behind all those years ago. It was finally his turn to speak out. He would be heard.

“I’m going to run for president of L’Manberg.”

The crowd erupted into chaos. Frantic voices rose their concerns. Wilbur shot uneasy looks towards his friends, giving them a silent signal to prepare for whatever was to come next. He took a steadying breath and composed himself, building up the courage to respond to Schlatt’s proclamation.

“This election is for citizens of L’Manberg. You’re an outsider Schlatt. You can’t just walk in here and expect to be a part of our democracy.”

“Oh, yes I can Wilbur. I have every right to be on stage with you."

“We have a society here. We have order and justice. It’s been ten years, ten years since we had to evacuate and make a new life for ourselves – ”

“And here you are, trying to bar me from that once again!” He took a step closer, but Wilbur stood his ground. “You left me for dead Wilbur. Well guess what, you aren’t going to throw me out into that wasteland again.”

The words cut through his courage like a knife. Silence filled the air as everyone watched on in horror, wondering what the intruder would do next. Slowly, Schlatt steadied himself and straightened his coat.

“What were the requirements for candidacy? The ones you listed just now,” Schlatt prompted. Wilbur furrowed his brow, knowing the answer would discredit his enemy’s claims of legitimacy.

“That you must be eighteen years of age and be a citizen of L’Manberg. You’re not a citizen Schlatt.”

“Am I not? Would you happen to have the document listing the conditions of citizenship?” Wilbur glanced to Tommy, who slowly reached into his coat and pulled out the scrolls they’d gathered prior to the announcement. They did have the one that laid out the provisions of citizenship. “Would you mind reading it out loud?”

“I don’t see how -”

“Read it.”

Wilbur stared down the man, reluctantly taking the document from Tommy’s outstretched hand. All eyes were on him as he slowly read out the words.

“Any person may be accepted as a citizen of L’Manberg, should they meet and agree to the following conditions: A desire to uphold and preserve the justice, equality, and independence of our great nation, the willingness to defend the values we’ve established under our flag, and the taking of an oath of loyalty to the state of L’Manberg. Any violation of these terms will result in withdrawal of citizenship and subsequent banishment. ”

Schlatt nodded along, looking behind him to his ally. The dark haired man smiled, mirroring the calculating expression of his leader.

“If I take the oath, I become a citizen of L’Manberg. And you said any citizen can run. You put no stipulation on how long a person had to belong to your country, nothing about what made a person ineligible. By the standards you laid out, I have every right to a candidacy.”

The color slowly drained from Wilbur’s face as he realized Schlatt was right. In his haste to announce the election, he and Tommy had published a sparse and widely interpretable document. He hadn’t imagined anyone would run against him, let alone someone from outside L’Manberg. His imperiousness was his downfall. Wilbur had to get control of the situation, and fast.

“This city meeting is adjourned. Go about your daily tasks. In a week's time we will hold a debate with the official candidates at the state courthouse.” Wilbur quickly dismissed the crowd, turning to Tommy and whispering a hasty order to his running mate before ushering everyone off the stage. Schlatt and his companion hung towards the back of the group, smug looks plastered across their faces.

“I hope you’re not trying to dismiss us. That wouldn’t be very constitutional, _President Soot_.” Schlatt’s words bit at Wilbur, he felt anger rising in him. Now that the crowd had dispersed he could finally drop his calm charade.

“Why the fuck are you here Schlatt. What do you want?” Wilbur unloaded on his old friend. Schlatt broke into a laugh.

“There’s the Wil I know. I prefer this version over the self-righteous prick who was up on that stage.” Tommy furrowed his brow in anger, stepping up to Wilbur’s side and taking an aggressive stance. Wil put a hand on his chest, holding him back.

“I’m not playing games here. Get out of my country, or I’ll make you.”

Schlatt’s face fell, instantly turning serious. “Oh, that’s not going to happen. I’ve been waiting for this moment. I’ve been watching your little country, I know everything that goes on within these walls. If only you knew how long I’ve been waiting for the chance to intervene in the perfect little world you’ve all set up here.”

No one in the group knew how to respond to the ominous message Schlatt was revealing. The looks of concern only fueled his confidence.

“I want you to take a guess, how many people do you think I have stationed around your city right now?” He paused as though expecting an answer, but no one replied. “If you as much as look to your weapons, you’ll be face to face with a horde of ravaged, blood thirsty rogues.”

Niki felt a wave of unease that she hadn’t experienced in years, and instinctively moved to push Tubbo behind her. Even Tommy recoiled from the threats Schlatt was casting. Wilbur swallowed his anger, knowing he had to give into the demands.

“What do you want then?”

“Didn’t I make it obvious?” Schlatt asked, gesturing to the stage. “I want to become president of L’Manberg.”

“You’re trying to grab for power.”

“I’m trying to undo the wrongs you’ve put on us.” Schlatt moved to rip the citizenship paper from Wilbur’s hand. He held it close to the president’s face as he continued. “You’re going to give us the oath and make us citizens. Your time as president is up Wilbur. Get ready to make way for a new leader.”

Word of the election spread fast. Word of Schlatt’s sudden reappearance spread even faster.

Essempee was buzzing with speculation about the state of L’Manberg. It reached the point that people weren't sure what was true and what was hearsay. Some were saying that the election was a setup all along, or that Schlatt had brought a group of almost ten bandits with him to take over the city, even that Wilbur Soot had already fled into the wilderness to escape an uprising against his old friend. Regardless of the details, it was clear that L’Manberg was facing immense amounts of turmoil.

Though others around him seemed excited at the prospect of L’Manberg’s downfall, Dream was only growing in concern. Beyond the satisfaction of revenge against the rival nation, there were numerous reasons why the situation was threatening for Essempee as well. Wilbur had been peaceful, even if he showed disdain towards them. They had trade agreements, they’d formed a treaty with mutual understanding of the boundaries and expectations laid out after the war. Having an outsider come into the already established society was dangerous, especially when that outsider had been living as a lawless fugitive for a decade.

Dream was aware of the past Wilbur and Schlatt shared. He knew Schlatt as well, back before the epidemic. The best word he could think to describe him was intense. Whatever he felt, he felt hard, and if he wanted to accomplish something he would. If his eye was on the presidency of L’Manberg, there was no telling what he’d do to get it.

George was hosting dinner that evening, several of their friends were invited to the night of festivities. It had only been a day since Schlatt's unannounced appearance, and Dream had a feeling the evening was initiated to celebrate the vigilante’s arrival. He was correct.

The king was the last one to the party, and everyone there already seemed to be in a great mood. The jovial atmosphere was a bit jarring in comparison to the disquieted mindset Dream had been stuck in all afternoon. Yet he seemed to be the only one in a somber mood, all except Eret, who stood off to the side of the group with a cup in hand. Dream glanced over at George and Sapnap cheerfully clinking glasses, next to them Bad and Skeppy were having a lively conversation with Karl. As much as he wanted to forget about the worries Schlatt brought to L’Manberg and Essempee, he knew he wouldn’t be able to. Instead, he made his way over to the wall to position himself next to Eret.

“Hey,” Dream greeted him simply. Eret gave a nod in response, but didn’t say anything. It was clear that he was similarly concerned. If Dream thought of himself as worried, he couldn’t imagine Eret’s position. The traitor still cared deeply about those in the neighboring country, he must have been wracked with anxiety knowing he couldn’t do anything but watch the chaos unfold.

“I’m a bit surprised you came tonight,” Dream commented, seemingly stirring Eret from a train of thought.

“Yeah, well.. Thought it might be nice to get my mind off things. Clearly, it’s not working too well.”

Dream remained silent, copying Eret as he watched the others banter.

“Wilbur’s a smart man. I’m sure he’ll be able to get a hold of the situation,” Dream wasn’t often one to provide support, so the words did make Eret feel a bit better.

“It’s just..” Eret fell silent, realizing he didn’t want to finish his train of thought. He wanted to say that Essempee should step in, that they should use their power to stop Schlatt before he made any ground. But that wasn’t his place, and he wasn’t going to impose that on Dream. “If I was there I could help. If I tried to offer a hand now, I know they would spit at me and turn me away.”

Eret took a long sip of his drink. Dream felt a twinge of guilt, knowing he was the reason L’Manberg despised him. That hadn’t been Eret’s intention, but it affected him nonetheless.

“Dream! Sapnap’s been going off about how he could beat you in a fight. Can you please come put him in his place?” George called over, interrupting his conversation with Eret. Dream gave a forced smile.

“Yeah right, Sap,” he replied half-heartedly. Eret gave him a nod, unspoken permission for him to join the group. Dream gave his shoulder a single pat before moving on, the kind gesture was enough to lift Eret’s mood ever so slightly.

Dream remained with his friends the rest of the evening, doing his best to match their energy level. Everyone seemed happy that Schlatt was ruining the order of L’Manberg. It came from pettiness, a desire to see the victors of the past war finally fail. Dream knew that no one was thinking about how the outcome would affect Essempee. At the end of the day, the two countries were encompassed within the same walls. L’Manberg may have sectioned itself off, but it was still in the same territory the group had settled on all those years ago. Whatever happened in L’Manberg was sure to spill over into Essempee, and so far it seemed like Dream and Eret were the only ones who recognized the danger on the horizon.

Schlatt had been granted citizenship the night he arrived in L’Manberg. His running mate, who called himself Quackity, was granted the same right directly after. Wilbur was emotionless as he facilitated each new member taking the oath of their nation, and was very deliberate when he informed them that violating the agreement would result in their banishment. He made no attempt to guise the fact that he’d be watching diligently for the second they acted against the country or any of the people. It was entirely clear that they weren’t welcomed, but by law couldn’t be turned away.

Anger and despair raced through the president. He shouldn’t have felt so worried, Schlatt shouldn’t hold any threat against him. The people in L’Manberg were clearly fearful of the imposing candidate, there was no way Schlatt would be able to sway public opinion in his favor. At least, that’s what Wilbur told himself.

Wilbur knew that Schlatt was smart. Moreover, he was a master of manipulation. If there was anyone out there who could walk into an election as the bad guy and still come out the winner, it would be him. That terrified Wilbur more than anything.

“We have to use the debates to our advantage. We can’t let Schlatt get a leg up,” Wilbur spoke out to his cabinet, who were strewn about his home that evening. The situation looked all too similar to the one they’d found themselves in when they first formed their nation. But now, Eret and Fundy were missing from the group. One a traitor, and one feeling betrayed.

This time around, Wilbur didn’t feel despair, he felt fury. Everything he’d worked so hard to build, the dedication he took to preserve his nation, it was all falling to pieces in his hands.

“Schlatt’s got a plan, I know he does,” He continued his rant, “He said it himself, he’s been waiting to infiltrate us for years. Damn it, the bastard!”

Wilbur threw off his L’Manberg jacket in a fit, not caring enough to watch where it landed. “Is this what I get for trying to make our country better? The moment I show any weakness, I relinquish my authority for one moment, and someone swoops in and tries to destroy the nation that _I’ve_ built!”

No one responded, heads hung down. Wilbur needed to get out his anger, so they let it happen. Tommy wanted to speak out, correct him and say that he wasn’t the only one who built L’Manberg, but decided it would be best not to further agitate him.

“If they vote for him – if anyone votes for that fucking scumbag – ” Wilbur stopped pacing, not knowing how or wanting to finish that thought. He slammed his fists onto the table, tensing in frustration. “Everything I do is for these people! My whole life has been dedicated to undoing the atrocities enacted against us, and he’s not going to take that away!”

“Wil..”

“After everything we went through.. ”

“Wil.”

“Everything we went through together – ”

“Wilbur!”

Niki’s voices finally cut through his devolving state of mind. His fists were clenched so tightly that his nails had broke skin. He had to stop and focus on physically relaxing himself from his worked-up state.

“This isn’t over. Schlatt hasn’t won anything,” Niki stepped up to him, placing a hand delicately on his back and rubbing circles. He shook his head, feeling deep down that he already had.

“You can’t let him get to your head. We have to be prepared for whatever he throws at us,” Tommy added.

“The people know how much you care, and after today they will surely see Schlatt for who he really is. I don’t know who will win, but it won’t be Schlatt and Quackity. It can’t be.” Wilbur wanted to believe Niki’s words, he really did. He wanted to believe it would be okay. But he couldn't.


	5. They Have Not Your Interests at Heart

Anxieties ran rampant as the debate drew nearer and nearer. A week seemed to fly by faster than it ever had before, the time for campaigning seemed to be far too short. Both Wilbur and Fundy had worked hard to get posters created to endorse their candidacy, they spoke with the citizens individually about their policy plans and values. Both sides were working tirelessly to win the favor of their people, but Schlatt hadn’t done anything. In fact, he was barely seen around the town. He and Quackity kept to themselves. They were staying somewhere outside the walls, presumably with the men that had been alluded to when they forced Wilbur to make them citizens.

The lack of campaigning from Schlatt and Quackity was somewhat concerning to Wilbur. If anyone needed a boost in popularity, it was the outsider. Why hadn’t he made any attempt to garner support? There had to be something bigger in store. Even when they were children, Schlatt always operated with monumental moments, not small ones. He didn’t waste time on details, and he rarely needed to in order to achieve his goals.

As the hours ticked down towards the debate, Wilbur sat wordlessly in his office with Tommy. The boy was practically bursting with anticipation, but he didn’t dare break through the silence that permeated the space. Wilbur often got lost in his mind, and Tommy knew better than to break whatever thought his president was working through. When the leader finally did speak, he made sure to be precise and calculated.

“Tommy, this debate could be the difference between us winning or losing our positions of power,” he stated as he rose from his long-used seat, “We need to be focused, we need to be ready, and we _need_ to ensure our people that we’re the best option.”

He paced back and forth a bit, continuing on.

“We need to keep the debate centered on the issues that we believe in. Schlatt will try and sway the topics, we need to bring it back to our policies and our experience. We’re the best candidates. I know Fundy and Niki are our friends, and we don’t need to bad mouth them, but we do need to make it clear that they aren’t what’s best for L’Manberg right now.”

“What if someone tries to bad mouth us though?” Tommy interjected, a sensible inquiry.

“You let me handle that. We’ll defend ourselves just as much as we need to, but we can’t let this dissolve into a yelling match. That will only make us look bad. Let the others use low blows to make us seem weaker, they’ll only be hurting themselves,” Wilbur instructed.

“What about when it’s my turn to speak? You can’t do the talking for me when I have the floor.”

Wilbur nodded slowly, knowing full well of that fact. That was perhaps the thing that concerned him the most. Tommy wasn’t known for his composure in situations like these. When he was under attack, he did whatever it took to regain control. He had no filter when it came to speaking from the heart.

“Tommy.. you've learned from me for so long now. You've taken everything I've taught you, and you’ve done brilliantly with it. You’ve turned into a well-rounded leader, and I know you’ll do what it takes to stand for our nation. I believe that you will uphold my values, and you’ll be able to voice them properly but.. I'm worried about your fire. If someone goes after our character or motives, the passion in your heart is going to overtake you and..”

“It won’t this time Wilbur. I've done enough damage with my fire,” Tommy stated, standing to meet Wilbur. “I can do this.”

Wilbur sighed, nodding slowly and reaching out to touch his right hand man’s shoulder. “Make me proud Mr. Vice President.”

Tommy gave a genuine smile, saluting to him. Wilbur dismissed him with a single pat, watching with concern as he made his way to get ready for the event. He muttered one last sentiment to himself, hoping his words wouldn’t turn out to be true.

“They’re gonna eat him alive.”

Three podiums stood in a semi-circle in front of the people of L’Manberg. Every seat was filled, no one wanting to miss the monumental occasion. Some were worried, some were excited, but most felt an ever growing restlessness for the conflict that was sure to ensue.

Each party was given a few final minutes to prepare, each taking separate rooms from the main gathering space. Wilbur wished he knew what was being discussed between his opponents. He could only prepare so much, there was no telling what the others planned to throw at him and Tommy.

“Remember, focus on our policies, keep your composure, and do what’s best for our fair nation,” Wilbur instructed, his final statement before the two emerged from their secluded room and made their way onto the stage. Everyone else was already in their place, including a nervously fidgeting Tubbo at his own podium in the center of the participants. The incumbents were the last one’s to take their position.

“It’s been awhile, Wilbur,” Schlatt spoke out over the quieting crowd. Wil didn’t reply, instead giving a quick nod to Tubbo, telling him to begin the debate.

“Welcome, citizens of L’Manberg, to the first ever Presidential Debate!” Tubbo called out, a cheeriness in his voice that didn’t quite match his demeanor. “I will be asking our candidates various questions that have been submitted to us. Each party will be given a chance to speak, first the President, then their Vice President. I’ll ask everyone to keep things civil, we’re all here for the same reason.”

Wilbur glanced to his left, past Tubbo where Schlatt and Quackity stood tall. They appeared completely calm and collected, and he hoped that was only a façade.

The debate began with brief introductions and an overview of the beliefs each party wanted to uphold. Wilbur reiterated his ideals of justice and freedom, hammering home the idea that he wanted to remain in power to continue to establish the best possible nation he’d already built up. Fundy spoke of equality in positions of power, and of trust that the people are more capable than government officials may assume. Schlatt said very little, only briefly speaking about necessity for change, and moving forward from the old ideals that prevent growth.

The first few rounds of questions were simple, and went by without any trouble. They were mostly easy discussions to get the debate rolling, nothing too dividing. The first big question came down heavy though.

“Despite our peace time, there is still a great amount of tension between L’Manberg and Essempee. How do you plan to navigate international relationships moving forward?” Tubbo read out.

“I’d like to take this one first, if I may,” Schlatt called out. Tubbo nodded, giving him the floor.

“See, I believe this issue extends beyond just Essempee. You were all there when my running mate and I tried to gain citizenship into this nation. You saw the way Wilbur rejected us without even giving us the chance to prove ourselves. We had to _beg_ to be let into the nation that claims it’s grounded in justice. L’Manberg doesn’t stand for freedom, it stands for the people who govern it. Their motives are based in self-preservation. We want to open these doors to the rest of the world, Essempee included. Wilbur Soot is the reason for the animosity between the two nations. He’s too afraid of losing his position of power, he’d rather close off his nation than attempt to reach a peace with the neighboring state.”

Wilbur felt himself become more and more agitated at Schlatt’s words, but he held it together. Tubbo gave Quackity the floor.

"L’Manberg has a pattern of discrimination against people not from L’Manberg. We weren’t able to enter into the safety and prosperity of this country because of the policies these men have put into place. If we’re elected, we plan on opening up our country to everyone and establishing ourselves as an inclusive nation,” Quackity stated.

“Wilbur, Tommy, your response?” Tubbo prompted. Wilbur took a breath, the words seeming to spill out effortlessly.

“For years Essempee has ostracized my group of people. L’Manberg is not a place for oppression, it is a place of sanctuary for _our_ people. What you are intending to do is come into our land and open it up to the very people we seek to escape just because we've created a better life for ourselves. This in itself is tyranny, and I will not stand for it.” The statement garnered a round of applause, which lifted Wilbur’s spirits. Tommy spoke next.

“Allowing other people into our land is something we have been intentionally cautious of due to the treatment of our people for years. I’d like you all to remember the reason L’Manberg was created: freedom from those who oppressed us. The fact that we want to keep our country to our people is more than reasonable. We had to fight for what we’ve built, something you would never understand. The fact that you want us to give that away is ridiculous.”

Wilbur was pleasantly surprised at the composure Tommy held throughout his statement. They seemed to have won that round of questioning, Fundy and Niki were still given the floor though.

“I’d like to say that we’ve been selective in our international relations for good reasons. I do agree that we must exercise caution in who we allow into our nation. However, we do need to establish better relations with those around us. Continuing to let these tensions build will only lead to more conflict," Fundy stated.

Niki spoke next. “Something I feel needs to be mentioned, is that we have opened our doors to Essempee before. Several of the people in this crowd were citizens of Essempee during the war, and they reached out to us after we gained independence for sanctuary. We let them in. We aren’t discriminatory, but we are doing our best to preserve the nation we’ve made.”

A few more claps of approval sounded out, mostly from those who were taken in from Essempee after the war. There had been several people who came over to L’Manberg after swearing an oath of allegiance. Several of them – Jack, Sam, and more – became close friends with Tommy and the others.

“To follow with a similar subject, I would like to ask each party about their policies regarding growth for L’Manberg,” Tubbo stated, giving the floor to Wilbur and Tommy first.

“Tommy and I have only begun to shape L’Manberg into what it could be. Might I remind you that it’s been just over a year since our nation formed, and we’ve already been prospering. We have many plans to strengthen our economy, our defenses, and the well-being of our citizens.” Tommy echoed a similar sentiment Before Schlatt and Quackity retorted.

“I would like to point out that all these policies these men speak of are born from violence and impulsion. I understand that this country had to endure hardships in order to stand today, but the people who are leading you now are the same ones who began an impetuous rebellion against an all-powerful ruler. These are not the policies that will bring the prosperity Wilbur is promising,” Schlatt countered.

“We are new generation of leaders.” Quackity gestured between himself and Schlatt. “We want to bring on a more progressive form of governing. Embracing your old school policies is just going to hurt progress.”

Despite not being given another rebuttal by Tubbo, Wilbur responded to his opponents. “They’re not old school. These policies were formed from blood not long ago with the ideal of liberty.”

“Is that so? Your policies all grow from war,” Quackity shot back.

“Of course they had to grow from war, we were oppressed! We were an oppressed people. I led these people to freedom, and I will keep and uphold the policies which freed us!”

“Please, everyone, let’s calm down,” Tubbo interrupted, putting up his hands to both sides. “I’ll allow for open discussion, but we can’t go about shouting at each other. Fundy, you have the floor.”

Fundy and Niki both gave their responses, both of which Wilbur didn’t really hear. He had to recenter himself. He’d been so worried about Tommy acting up, yet he’d been the one to let his emotions take the better of him. He couldn’t let it happen again.

Tubbo gave another easy topic, which might have been to help ease the tensions. Wilbur was grateful either way. However, it wasn’t long before another hard hitting question was raised.

“These lands have seen plenty of bloodshed over the last ten years, what are your stances on acting in violence. Fundy, you may start.”

“We all know the history of violence that has taken place here, assumably..” He glanced to Schlatt and Quackity. “ We’ve seen it firsthand. All I want is to create unity between people, not animosity. War and violence should be avoided at all costs, and I will ensure that ideal is upheld.”

The answer was a cop-out, Wilbur thought. He hadn’t really said anything of substance, and Niki didn’t have much to add other than a sentiment of wanting to open avenues for peaceful dialogue. The floor was given to Schlatt next.

“Look, I understand that I haven’t been here to see the violence within these walls. I’ve only heard second hand about the atrocities that went on in here. However, I’ve been living in the wastelands outside these walls ever since the fall of civilization, and I can tell you that the violence out there isn't half as brutal as what has occurred in here. Sure, marauders and thieves may litter the land beyond these walls, but they only do what they need to survive. In here, there is violence enacted for far more sinister reasons. You have a functioning society in here! You have protection and stability, and yet your leaders still choose to wage war!” Schlatt called out. Quackity followed up as though the whole speech was rehearsed.

“There have been wars and deaths that were completely unnecessary. Your leaders had all the opportunity to settle your concerns with words, yet they resorted to violence as the foundation of your country. We want to keep conflict to a minimum, but it seems your leaders aren’t afraid to cast the first stone.”

Wilbur paused, waiting for the official word from Tubbo to refute the accusations. “Your statements are built on falsehoods, you don’t have any idea of what we did to try and work out our issues with Essempee peacefully! Violence and conflict was our last resort!”

Tommy started talking, cutting off Wilbur from the remainder of his time. “We built this country on the principle of using words before war! You just walked into our land and started spouting lies to turn our people against us!”

“Do the people know for sure that you made attempts at peace? Were they at all involved in the decision making or did you and your friends make them all in secret?” Quackity pushed.

“Now hold on – ” Fundy tried to interject, but Tommy spoke louder.

“Who are you to start throwing accusations? You’re an outsider, you shouldn’t even be running in this election!”

“Tommy, stop,” Wilbur tried to quell the situation, Tubbo also trying to calm them, but it didn’t work.

“I can ask the people then! Were they there when you drafted your declaration of independence? Were they there to watch you negotiate with Essempee?”

“This is irrelevant to the question at hand,” Niki stated, being over shadowed as both Tommy and Quackity tried to speak over each other. This was exactly what Wilbur was trying to avoid.

“Enough!” He yelled over the two, finally silencing them. “Tubbo I’d like you to take control of this and actually field some debate questions, as this has turned into chaos.”

“Gladly.” Tubbo cleared his throat waiting for the people to quiet down before starting asking one of the few remaining topics. As he saw what was on the card, he hesitated for a moment. He knew the topic would spark up more hostility, but it was one that had to be addressed.

“What are your stances on corruption within politics?” Tubbo nervously placed the paper back on the podium. “Wilbur, you may begin.”

The topic made a momentary twang of panic erupt from his stomach, but he swallowed it and formed his answer. “As the man who called this election, as the man who stripped his own power to allow democracy to take root, I would say corruption is very much something I am against. We formed this nation to distance ourselves from tyrannical rule. I may have been accepted by the people I lead, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to cling onto it unfairly. I can do great things, and I know the people will support me in that.”

Tommy nodded, yielding his turn to end on Wilbur’s statement. It was Fundy’s time next.

“I’ve seen the development of L’Manberg’s government over the past year. Yes, we’ve done great things, but there have also been short comings in the leadership of the cabinet. Now, I won’t go as far as to say there is corruption, but I do believe there is an imbalance of power. Wilbur, I’ve spent many years under you. I’ve seen what you can do, I’ve seen your leadership, you know what you’re doing. I’ve seen your charisma, you’re a great leader. But there’s one thing you’re lacking, and that is the ability to trust in your governing body. You’re too concerned with what might come in your way that you can’t delegate responsibilities.”

Everyone fell into silence. Wilbur was expecting this to arise, and he knew he had to address it before it got too out of control. Niki didn’t have anything to add, and Tubbo gave Wilbur the chance to respond.

“I won’t discuss this further than to say that I appointed responsibilities as I saw fit. You can ask anyone of my cabinet members if they felt I was unfair in my distribution of power, and I can say with some confidence that they wouldn’t share the same sentiment. It is true that I gave more responsibility to some than others, purely based on the degree to which I thought them capable to handle it.”

The statement left a sullen expression over Fundy’s face. Wilbur hadn't said that out loud before, and he hadn’t wanted to, but it had to be done. Fundy may have felt hurt over the admission that the president didn’t think he was fit for more duties, but it was the honest truth.

“Schlatt, you have the floor,” Tubbo said after the uncomfortable silence. The man stretched his neck, sighing as he stepped up to the podium.

“I want to start this by addressing the people L’Manberg. We may have gotten off on the wrong foot when I interrupted Wilbur’s declaration last week, but there is good reason for my unannounced entrance,” Schlatt peered over the crowd, eyes moving until they landed on Wilbur and Tommy. “These two have abused their positions of power, and tried to create a puppet election. They had full intentions of running unopposed, merely giving the people the illusion of choice. When they decided to enact their ‘democratic’ process, they didn’t even consult their own cabinet. Isn’t that right Fundy?”

All eyes turned to the candidate, who stiffened. He glanced between Schlatt and Wilbur, feeling the anger begin to rise again. He gave a deliberate nod.

“They didn’t even tell their own cabinet! If the people in power weren’t supposed to know, then what do you think they would have disclosed to the public?” A murmur of discontent began to ripple though the crowd, fear rising in Wilbur and Tommy.

“These allegations are hearsay,” Wilbur tried to refute, but Fundy shot him down.

“They’re not. What Schlatt is saying is true. I believe they intended to create a one party system to secure their position. They even began to draft the constitution without the rest of the cabinet.”

Schlatt smiled maliciously, hiding it behind his fake outrage. “Do you really want to elect a president who knowingly excludes his own governing body from the nation’s political systems?”

“I’ve been acting in the best interests of this nation – ”

“The best interests? Please, Wilbur, do you think these people are stupid?” Schlatt scoffed, addressing the crowd, “Look at who’s up on this stage with me. Everyone running here is already an established member of this corrupt government. Do you want to put power right back into the hands of the people who are trying to abuse it?”

Now even Fundy was beginning to panic, suddenly being lumped in with the alleged corruption. No one knew how to respond to the claims being levied against them, and all Wilbur could do was take away Schlatt’s platform to speak out.

“This entire thing should be adjourned. Clearly our opponent is using his position to push his own political agenda onto the people. This has been a mockery of justice, this been a mockery of the debate floor.” Tubbo couldn’t even reply, Wilbur had already pulled a frantic Tommy off the stage with him. Fundy and Niki followed suit, racing after them. The crowd had devolved into a roar of disproval and confusion, several inquiries were being shouted at the retreating candidates.

Schlatt and Quackity remained where they were, smiling at the chaos that was unfolding before them. In that moment, they knew they had won.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me after watching the Nov. 16th stream: *Adds 5 more chapters to the story*
> 
> But honestly, the events on the SMP have completely changed the ending I had planned for, so now the story is going to be much longer than I originally anticipated. That shouldn't be a bad thing though, once break rolls around I'll have more time to actually be able to write! Thanks for sticking with me through the slow updates.
> 
> I just created a poll to take opinions on character deaths. I'm on the fence and I'd love to hear what my readers think or what you would like to see! Link below:  
> [ Character Death Opinion Poll](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfiOsZMXHgpmO958sUcfjLnBvmc3zjK2ZHRQgFybM4rlX23PA/viewform?usp=sf_link)


	6. My Great Unfinished Symphony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't already, I'd love for you to complete my poll on opinions of character deaths. I'm trying to decide on an ending for this story and want to know what my readers think. It only takes a minute, and it would help me out a lot!  
> Link here: [ Character Death Opinion Poll](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfiOsZMXHgpmO958sUcfjLnBvmc3zjK2ZHRQgFybM4rlX23PA/viewform?usp=sf_link)

There was a shared dread amongst the members of the cabinet that fateful evening. The past week had been consumed by attempts to recover from the doubts cast on them by Schlatt. It was clear that his words left an impact on the people, and despite him being an outsider, they believed his statements. Wilbur knew that a part of the enemies credibility came from the fact that he and Schlatt had been close all those years ago. It wasn’t just a stranger coming in and throwing out accusations, it was someone who knew their president well.

Wilbur stared at the grand stand that Tubbo had built up for election night. It stood tall over the space where the people would soon stand, the platform itself decorated with banners and flags of L’Manberg. The votes were in, the ballots closed, a pair of impartial citizens tasked with tallying the results. This was it.

As he stood to the side of the stand he could already see people beginning to take their place in the empty square. There would be hundreds of faces out there, watching in anticipation of what was to come. The cabinet members had convinced Wilbur to invite Essempee to come observe the inauguration. It was a historic moment, the two nations had been civil up until now, and they would have guards stationed at the doors and around the area. Wilbur didn’t really think Dream would try and enact violence, but he still didn’t like the idea of his old enemy being there for one of the most important events in L’Manberg’s history.

He had retreated to the gathering space behind the stand where the candidates would meet before the announcement of results. His mind was running rampant with all the possibilities, how he would handle each outcome. A hand suddenly placed on his scared him from his daze, only relaxing once he realized it was Niki.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” she apologized, pulling back.

“It’s fine, I’ve just been.. thinking.” Niki nodded in agreement. She was nervous as well, knowing full well herself and Fundy weren’t the most prospective candidates. That didn’t matter much to her, she didn’t care who won as long as it wasn’t Schlatt.

“I have something for you,” she stated, pulling out a large metal button and pinning it to Wilbur’s navy jacket. He glanced down, seeing _Soot Innit_ imprinted on it, his surname stacked on top of Tommy’s. He smiled.

“I already gave Tommy his. I think he was just excited to see his name in such an official manner.” Wilbur laughed, gently handling the campaign button. It obviously wouldn’t do much now in terms of getting votes, but it was the thought that warmed his heart.

“Thank you Niki. Just don’t tell Fundy you were supporting the other party,” he noted, only partially a joke. Niki gave a half smile.

“He’ll work through his feelings eventually. Once this is all over, I think a long discussion would do you both well,” she suggested. Wilbur took a deep breath and nodded.

“Hopefully I’ll still have the authority to correct the mistakes I’ve made.”

Niki pulled Wilbur over to a set of chairs that had been set up for the candidates. She sat beside him, her tone changing to a more serious one.

“No matter what happens, no matter who’s elected, I’ll always be standing next to you Wilbur. I’ll always be by your side.” Wilbur nodded, a bit surprised when he felt tears well up in his eyes. The nerves and fears hadn’t fully hit him until now. He took a deep breath, shifting to fix his jacket.

“We won’t lose. Tommy and I we.. we won’t lose.” He tried to believe what he was saying, and a part of him did. But he still knew he wasn’t out of the woods yet.

Tubbo and Tommy had spent the entire afternoon outside the city limits of L’Manberg. They’d walked through the forest and reminisced on the years they'd spent together. They’d thought back to when they had just turned 12, when Tommy was exiled to the outskirts and met Wilbur, Tubbo, and the others. They grew up together, two best friends getting into trouble and learning how to navigate life. The land held so many memories; there was the time when they’d built a fort and accidently caught it on fire all in one day, or when Tommy had dislocated his shoulder trying to jump from on tree to another despite Tubbo’s warnings, all the wooden stick fights that eventually evolved into real swordsmanship practice. Everything they knew was here, in L’Manberg.

But now they were back, standing off to the side as everyone took a final moment to prepare for the event to start. Tubbo had the envelope with the election results tucked into his jacket pocket, nervously checking to make sure it was still there every thirty seconds. He had no clue what it said, and knowing he was so close to the crucial information had caused his heart to continuously race over the past fifteen minutes. Tommy was even more nervous, and Tubbo tried to focus on his friend to ease his own tensions.

“You’re gonna do great up there,” Tubbo stated, giving Tommy a squeeze on the shoulder. “Everything’s gonna be great. I’ll be right up there with you, remember? If you ever get nervous, just look behind you and I’ll give you the best thumbs up you’ve ever seen.”

Tommy laughed at his friend’s attempts to make him feel calmer. Still, he wished he could just forget about the election, pretend it wasn’t happening. He would much rather be back at their bench, Tubbo playing his favorite song on the guitar. There was no running from reality now though, and he had to prepare himself. “Thanks Tubbo. It’ll be okay though. Me and Wilbur will win, I’m sure.”

Tubbo nodded in agreement, reaching out to straighten the button he had gotten from Niki. “Yeah you will.”

“Tommy.” Wilbur’s voice broke into their conversation, both turning to see their president beckoning them to the steps of the podium. “It’s time.”

The tension in the air was heavy. Hundreds of people stood on, watching, waiting. Several faces were familiar, several weren’t. Friends were scattered amongst the crowd, but so were enemies. The same could be said for the people on the stand.

Tommy was tapping his foot rapidly from just behind Wilbur’s right shoulder. The president noticed it out of his peripherals, he pulled his running mate next to him and placed a reassuring hand on the boy before motioning for him to resume his position behind him. It would be alright. It had to be.

Silence filled the air as each party faced out from their podiums. On his right Fundy and Niki stood. Fundy was emotionless, glancing over to meet Wilbur’s gaze only to sharply turn back to the crowd. Unsurprisingly Niki gave him a reassuring smile and a nod. Which he returned. Schlatt and Quackity were to his left, though he didn’t give the curtesy of an acknowledgment. Wilbur stood as tall and confidant as he could, clearing his throat as soon as everyone was ready. 

“L’Manberg, Essempee, thank you all for being here for such a historic moment, the passing over of the presidency for the first election of L’Manberg.” A short applause followed. For some reason it made his stomach twist. “Tonight we will not only be announcing the winner of the election, but we will be inaugurating them as the new President and Vice President of L’Manberg.”

As the people gave another round of half-hearted cheering, Wilbur finally took a moment to look at the people watching. He wanted to focus on the friendly faces, but he was drawn towards the back of the mass where most of Essempee stood. As though he was a magnet, Wilbur found Eret’s face all too quickly. He hated seeing him in his country. He hated it maybe even more than he hated Dream, George, and Sapnap being there, all of whom stood in the far back, expressionless and stiff.

“I would like the thank the citizens of L’Manberg for the faith they have put into me and my administration,” Wilbur continued, swallowing his emotions and putting on the face of a leader. “I have done my best to lift up this great nation, and will continue to do so regardless of the outcome of this evening. Good luck to each and every candidate, may their presidency bring peace and prosperity for the future.”

He turned to Tubbo, who was ready at the top of the stairs. “Secretary of State, the results please.”

Tubbo hurriedly moved up to Wilbur, passing him the envelope with a shaky hand. He whispered a quick thank you to the teenager, nodding for him to step back. Wilbur hadn’t noticed the tremble in his own hands until he was gripping the sealed envelope. This was it, he would know in mere seconds if his position of power had been stripped away from him.

All eyes were on him as he carefully ripped open the wax seal – the seal that bore the emblem of L’Manberg – and removed the paper inside. Tommy unconsciously placed a hand on Wilbur’s back, either to calm himself or his leader. Wilbur didn’t even register the touch as he unfolded the paper, eyes drawn to the dark black ink.

He saw the losers first. Fundy and Niki in last place, the fewest votes. For a moment he wasn’t sure he had the strength to look at the other names. But he had to.

All color drained from Wilbur’s face. No, it couldn’t be true. It had to be fabricated, it had to be false..

They’d lost. Wilbur and Tommy had lost the election.

“Wilbur?” Tommy’s gentle voice was barely audible. He shoved the paper against the surface of the wooden podium, eyes glazed over in total numbness.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to announce the winners of the first ever L’Manberg election: President Schlatt and Vice President Quackity.”

The heads of his friends whipped towards him in shock. A quiet but desperate ‘no’ fell from Niki’s lips. Tommy’s mouth opened and closed as he tried to get words out, but nothing came. Schlatt chuckled only loud enough for those on the stage to hear.

“As of today, September 21st, Schlatt has been inaugurated as President of L’Manberg.” The parting word burned Wilbur to the core, but he had no choice other than to step aside. Everyone else followed suit, all except Tommy.

“Wilbur are you sure?” He breathed out in exasperation. Wilbur nodded his head grimly, moving back from his podium.

“Schlatt. Step up to the podium and deliver your inauguration speech,” Wilbur’s words bit hard at the new president, the enemy slowly stepping up to replace him.

“Wil, surely not..” Tommy stood still, not moving away to allow Schlatt to take the stage. It didn’t phase the new leader, who came so close to Tommy he could almost feel the malicious energy radiating off of him.

“Tommy. Get off my podium.”

Wilbur had to grab the teens arm, pulling him towards the stairs. Tubbo met them at the back of the stage, dumbfounded as the losing parties retreated to join the crowd of onlookers.

“Tommy we’re citizens tonight. Just listen to Schlatt,” Wilbur warned, moving both him and Tubbo onto the frays of the crowd. All five made their way towards the back of the group, staring as Schlatt made himself comfortable at the head of the stage.

“Well.. That was pretty easy.” Schlatt had never looked more conceited than he had in that moment, staring over the country he had managed to seize in mere weeks. “You know what I said the day I stepped foot in L’Manberg? I said things are gonna change. I looked every citizen of L’Manberg in the eyes and I said you listen to me.. this place will be a lot different tomorrow.”

Schlatt paused, and Wilbur knew he was staring right at him as he spoke his next line.

“Let's start making it happen.”

Niki gripped Wilbur’s hand. It was as though they both knew, deep down, that something bad was going to happen. Wilbur looked at the boys next to him, he saw the terror in their eyes.

“My first decree as the president of L’Manberg – the emperor of this great country!”

Wilbur gripped her hand back. He didn’t want to let go.

“Is to revoke the citizenship of Wilbur Soot and Tommy Innit!”

The world devolved around them.

Niki and Tubbo screamed out involuntarily at the decree. Tommy froze, Wilbur shook his head in disbelief. All around them cries of panic or support – completely indistinguishable from each other – made their ears ring. No one moved until Schlatt shouted out a second, harder command.

“Get them out of here!” From everywhere in the crowd people began to unsheathe weapons; there was no telling who. People from Essempee, Schlatt’s men, their own citizens?

“You’re no longer welcome here!”

Wilbur pulled his hand from Niki’s, looking into her panicked eyes one last time before grabbing Tommy’s collar.

“Tommy run!” The boy was curling into himself, overcome with fear. “Tommy run!”

Wilbur had to drag him out of the crowd, Tubbo yelling and frantically trying to regain grip on his best friend’s hand. Fundy held him back, watching in awe as the people around them either fell away from the retreating men, or charged for them.

Tommy could barely hear Quackity’s garbled words over the roar of the mob. He was running, sprinting, trying to keep up with Wilbur as the sound of footsteps followed them. An arrow came flying past him, than another. He screamed out to Wilbur, not knowing where to go or what to do. Tommy didn’t even notice the arrow that had been lodged in his leader’s shoulder, Wilbur only gave a small yelp of pain as he continued to push himself out of reach of the approaching enemies, constantly calling to Tommy to keep running.

Pain was all Tubbo felt as he struggled against Fundy to protect his friends. Niki hadn’t stopped protesting. Fundy was the only one to notice the crossbows that were being aimed in their direction, stopping them from making any advancements.

From further on, Eret watched as his old friends were crushed in one single moment. He’d wanted to help, he had known pain and destruction would come by Schlatt’s hand. He couldn’t do anything to stop it, but he wouldn’t just stand by and watch.

Even Dream was shocked at the events that had unfolded that evening. He should have known Schlatt would pull something like this, yet the intensity of the situation still hit him full blast.

Schlatt just laughed. No one could hear it, but he laughed in joy as he watched the two run. The man who had left him for dead ten years ago, now getting his comeuppance.

As the exiled faded from view, the crowd slowly turned back to face the new President. He yelled out over the cries of shock.

**“Until further notice, Wilbur Soot and Tommy Innit are merely a memory of L’Manberg.”**

Blood pounded in Tommy’s ears. He couldn’t hear anything. All he could do was follow Wilbur as the ran for their lives. They crossed the threshold of their nation. Through the gates.

**“A relic of the past.”**

Arrows continued to rain down. Tommy stumbled to the ground as one grazed his side, burning pain erupting from the gash. Wilbur picked him up. They couldn’t stop.

**“A reminder of the darkest era this country has ever seen.”**

The wall of Essempee drew closer. Just visible through the trees. They were running towards it.

**“And I guarantee you all, dear citizens, tonight everything changes.”**

Wilbur pushed Tommy up a tree, his hand meeting the thick, warm liquid that gushed from the boy’s side. They had to fight through the pain. They had to get over the wall.

**“We are entering into a new period of L’Manberg. A period of prosperity, of strength, of unity.”**

Cries echoed as Tommy climbed up, making his way over the cobblestone wall and dropping ten feet to the other side. It hurt so bad. Everything hurt so bad.

**“Under the Schlatt Administration.”**

They were in the wilderness now. Their life was left behind. They had to keep running. Monsters would surround them soon, the setting sun would draw out the new danger. They had no where to go, no where to hide. Everything was gone.

“Where’s Tubbo?”

The question shot fear into the boys heart. He spun to face the new leader. Niki gripped him in a hug, not daring to let Schlatt lay a hand on the innocent boy.

“Get up here.”

“Don’t do it,” Niki whispered, tightening her grip.

“Get up here on my podium Tubbo.”

The boy looked at her helplessly, realizing defying his orders might only make matters worse. He placed a reassuring hand on her arm, wriggling free from her grasp and taking slow steps towards the stand.

“You’re the secretary of state, aren’t you?” Schlatt called out to the boy. He was shaking, trying his best not to be afraid.

“Am I?” It was a genuine question, he figured the entirety of the cabinet had been disbanded the moment Schlatt took over. The leader laughed.

“I’m not gonna fire you. I mean, look at all the great things you’ve done!” Schlatt gestured around vaguely, something about his cheerful tone making the boy even more unsettled.

“Get up here. Now.”

Tubbo barely squeaked out a response, making his way around to the steps. As he reached the platform, he remained nervously at the back of the stage. Quackity and Schlatt were staring at him now, expectantly waiting for him to approach the podium. He did, once he was finally in reach of them Schlatt put an arm around his shoulder. He tensed under it, feeling himself begin to hyperventilate as the man held him firmly at his side.

“Tubbo. As my Secretary of State, my right hand man, I need you do something for me.” The boy’s heart was racing, beating so hard he worried Schlatt would be able to feel it.

“Yes.. Mr. president?”

Wilbur and Tommy couldn’t run anymore. They had been going for so long, traversing through trees, undergrowth, and protruding roots. Blood stained their coats. Tears stained their cheeks. They collapsed to the ground, moans of pain and desperation shared between them. At that moment they both thought that it was the end. No weapons to defend themselves and no safety to retreat to. Completely hopeless, lying on the cold dirt ground, they were broken.

Not far off, eyes watched the two outlaws heave out breaths of suffering. Even in the middle of the untamed wild they weren’t alone. But they didn’t know that.

“Tubbo.” Schlatt let go of him, reaching to his side and pulling out his sword. He extended the handle towards the boy with an evil grin. “I need you to find Wilbur and Tommy, and I need you to make sure they never step foot in L’Manberg again.”


	7. How Lucky We Are to be Alive Right Now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll post this poll here one last time in case anyone missed it. So far the opinion is literally evenly split which doesn't necessarily make my decision any easier. I will say, it's very interesting seeing who people would and wouldn't want to see die. I get a sort of peek into who your favorite (and maybe least favorite?) people are.. It's intriguing.  
> [ Character Death Opinion Poll](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfiOsZMXHgpmO958sUcfjLnBvmc3zjK2ZHRQgFybM4rlX23PA/viewform?usp=sf_link)

Wilbur had only the light of the moon to work by as he tried to stop the bleeding from Tommy’s side. All they had were the layers under their jacket as bandages, Tommy was now left shivering in a thin blouse as his outer layer was being used to put pressure on the gash the arrow had left. Wilbur hadn’t even removed the arrow from his shoulder yet, the adrenaline that had previously blocked out the pain was now gone, and each movement sent pain ripping through his upper body. Tommy could see the pain etched into Wilbur’s face, and he couldn’t bear it anymore.

“Wil please let me help you.” He ignored the boy’s pleas, not stopping until he was sure Tommy was fixed as best as possible. “Wilbur.”

With a grunt of pain he finally fell back into a hunched position, waiting for Tommy to move behind his shoulder. 

“Do you have a knife?” Wilbur asked through gritted teeth. Tommy reached down to his belt where he kept the small knife Tubbo got him for his birthday. 

“Yeah.”

“How far in is the arrow?” Tommy tried to get a good look, there wasn't much light to see by but he didn’t think it was too deep.

“Not much.”

“Use your knife and open the wound a bit more,” Wilbur instructed. Tommy hesitated.

“Are you sure..”

“If you pull it out as is it could tear my muscles even more. Follow the edge of the arrow and try to get the tip out smoothly. Just do it Tommy.”

The boy nodded, feeling panic set in as he tried to keep a steady hand. Wilbur sucked in air through his teeth in a hiss of pain, trying not to move as Tommy carefully inched the blade around the arrow tip. The teen felt tears begin to well up under the pressure of his actions, he used his free hand to wipe them away. Finally, he managed to slide the projectile out as safely as he could. He wiped his blood soaked hands on his jacket, as Wilbur handed Tommy a piece of clothing to shove into the wound. Wilbur attempted to rotate his arm, relieved to find that he still had movement. It hurt like hell, but there didn’t seem to be much damage done to the muscles.

Tommy was completely distraught, pulling on his stained L’Manberg coat and holding it tight to his chest as he waited for Wilbur to recover. A low growl from somewhere in the distance sent warning bells off. Tommy gripped his knife, the small weapon wouldn’t do much to fend off the mutants but it was all they had.

“Get up. We need to go,” Wilbur whispered, straining to get back to his feet and push on through the dark forest. Each step was agony for both of them, but they kept going. Their eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and while it was aiding in their escape it also made them paranoid of what was just out of reach. They kept seeing movements from the corner of their eyes; elongated legs crawling up trees, decomposing flesh and bones peeking out from the brush. Monsters were surrounding them, another injury could mean the end.

Wilbur had no idea where they were or how far away from L’Manberg they had gone, not until he stumbled across a vaguely familiar structure nestled in the side of a hill. He froze suddenly, reaching out to Tommy with his good arm, and wordlessly pulled him in the direction of the beacon of hope.

“What the hell..” Tommy mumbled as they neared the decrepit wooden beams that created an entrance into the dark hole. Neither could see inside the cave. Wilbur picked up a rock and tossed it in, hearing the faint sound of it thumping against the stone ground. A pause, listening for the sounds of mutants to react. Nothing came. 

“Grab some sticks and kindling. Hurry.” Tommy quickly went to fetch the requested supplies, Wilbur blindly felt around with one arm for the walls past the entrance into the hole. They were cold and damp, the air matching it as he entered the darkened space. He stayed near the opening, and when Tommy returned he instructed him to set the supplies down in the entrance.

“Keep watch, I’m going to try and start a fire.” 

Wilbur had picked up plenty of skills from the time when Essempee was first settled, when the people had little to live by. Making a fire with nothing but sticks was one of those. He picked the driest pieces they had, and went to work twisting and rubbing the stick into the designated spot on the wood. It took a few minutes, but he eventually got an ember, feeding it kindling and coaxing it into a small flame. 

The light grew brighter as the men added more sticks to the pile, illuminating the space and allowing them to fully see where they were. The man-made cave was small, only eight feet wide in both directions, and held nothing but the wooden posts that kept the ground from caving inward. Opposite of the entrance there was a hole in the wall with rickety steps leading into a deeper portion of the cave. 

“What is this?” Tommy asked quietly, looking around.

“An entrance to a mining shaft. This was the first one Essempee made back in the early years, but it was barren and too far out of the walls, so they abandoned it.” 

“So.. where are we then?”

Wilbur sighed, looking past him to the steps that descended into the darkness. “Maybe a mile southeast from L’Manberg. A mile outside the walls.”

Tommy nodded, feeling suddenly all too overwhelmed by the idea of being so far away from home. They had literally nothing. He couldn’t sit there anymore, his body practically acting on its own accord as he sprung to his feet and paced around the small space. 

“What are you doing?” Wilbur asked as the restless boy started running his fingers through his hair. He didn’t reply right away, shaking his head and increasing in speed. “Tommy?”

“Wilbur I’m not sure we can do this.” Wilbur looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“What do you mean you’re not sure we can do this?”

“We have a life there! We can’t just leave L’Manberg.”

“Tommy we don’t have a choice!” The teen finally stopped pacing, staring as Wilbur rose to his feet. “We’re unwelcome in Essempee, we’re unwelcome in L’Manberg. We have literally nowhere else to go. This is it.”

“But.. no..”

“We held an election, and we lost. The people chose Schlatt. If this is what they wanted then so be it!” Wilbur’s eyes fell to the button still pinned to Tommy’s jacket. He reached for his own, tearing it from the fabric and throwing it down the steps into the cavern. Clinking metal echoed out. Tommy watched on in dismay.

“We gave up everything for L’Manberg.” Wilbur’s voice had dropped to a low growl, the fear quickly being replaced by anger, “Everything we’ve earned in our sacrifices has been lost in one moment.”

Tommy could sense the resignment in Wilbur’s voice. It was as though he’d already accepted the fact that they would have to live alone in the wastes, but Tommy hadn’t. “We’ve got to get it back.”

Wilbur gave a morbid laugh, looking to the naïve boy. “Schlatt was democratically elected. We have no power anymore Tommy, when are you going to understand that? It’s all gone to shit.”

Tommy was beginning to absorb the rage Wilbur was throwing at him. They were supposed to be in this together, why was Wilbur attacking him when it wasn’t even his fault in the first place.

“You’re the one who called the election!” Tommy accused.

“I called the election to consolidate power!” Wilbur spat back.

“You called the election to _show_ your power. You were so arrogant, you told me no one would dare oppose us. Now look at us! We’re fucked Wilbur!”

They stared each other down, both too wound up to realize how stupid it was to get upset with each other.

“I need to get this fucking uniform off,” Wilbur finally broke away, groaning in pain as he ripped the jacket off and threw it to the side. He didn’t care that he was left in nothing but a bloodied, thin long-sleeved shirt. He didn’t want to don the attire of the country that rejected him any longer.

The fire crackled loudly now that their voices weren’t reverberating off the walls. Tommy felt dejected, fighting with Wilbur was only making their terrible situation worse. He slumped down against the wall, carefully taking off his campaign button and running his fingers over their printed names.

“We can’t turn on each other Wilbur. I’ve lost everyone, I won’t lose you too.”

The ex-president sighed. He had thought, after everything that had happened the past few years, that he wouldn’t see Tommy as a child anymore. But a moment like this, a moment where he seemed so genuine and lost, all he could see was the twelve year-old boy who he’d taken in all those years ago.

“I’m sorry Tommy. Schlatt and Quackity are the ones to blame.” Wilbur moved over to sit next to him, placing a hand on his knee apologetically.

“Wilbur, you’ve got to know.. me and you are a duo now. There is no president, there is no vice president, because it’s me and you against the world.” He looked up to his mentor. No matter what, he’d always see him as his leader. But right now there was no chain of command. If this was going to work, Wilbur would have to start looking to Tommy as his partner, not his assistant.

“We’ll figure this out Tommy. I promise you, we’ll get through this. You and I won’t die out here.”

As soon as the morning light broke, Tubbo was sent into the untamed world beyond the walls. He had nothing but a sword in his hand and the words from Schlatt ringing in his head.

_Make sure they never step foot in L’Manberg again._

Alone and disoriented the boy stumbled through the forest. Even in the early light the vast expanse of trees were dim. A few monsters were scattered throughout the area, the last few who had stayed on the surface from the previous evening. Each step brought him further into the depths of the unknown. The forest seemed to loop on forever, his surroundings indistinguishable. His heart was racing as fast as his legs were taking him. He didn’t know where he was running.

“Tommy,” the boy squeaked out, not loud enough for anyone to hear but himself.

“Tommy?” Louder this time, his voice sent a flock of birds fluttering from a tree.

He kept running. Why was he here? It was his mission to kill them. He could never do that. He wasn’t going to hurt them, he never would. Tubbo was on their side, and they were on his, he was sure. Schlatt may be controlling him, he may be forcing him to do his bidding, but he would never hurt them. Never had the thought crossed his mind. So if he wasn’t going to hurt them, why was he even here at all? He was running aimlessly through the woods, mind hazy, mentally lost.

What if he found them. He desperately wanted to see them, to know they were alive and safe. He could help them, he could make it all okay. He wasn’t on Schlatt’s side, he hated him. He was supposed to hate Schlatt and Quackity, they were the enemy. They had exiled the people he deeply loved and cared about. He would find them and help them.

“Tommy!” He yelled now, calling for him as though he was a mother searching for a lost child. “Tommy!”

He continued to shout out the name, waiting for the faintest response, but none came. He’d traveled so far and so long, they had to have been in ear shot at some point. His throat was dry and rough from how hard he’d been straining. Nothing, he’d found nothing.

What if they didn’t want to be found. What if they didn’t trust him anymore. If he did manage to locate them, would it only make matter worse? He couldn’t imagine why either would feel threatened by him, but maybe the overwhelming stress of being exiled had caused them to doubt everything they once knew. Maybe they’d seen him accept the task of hunting them. Maybe they thought he really was on Schlatt’s side.

But how could Tommy ever distrust him? No, he wouldn’t. Tommy was his best friend. Tubbo wanted his best friend back.

So he continued to run, and he kept yelling out his name. He kept going, to find Tommy. He had to.

Silence. There was silence. No sign of his friends, no sign of hope. Tubbo couldn’t keep running forever, and as he reached a clearing he finally let himself go and crumpled to the floor. The sword Schlatt had given him feel to the dirt as Tubbo curled into himself and heaved out a sob. The exclamations of his best friend’s name were now replaced with forlorn wails. He was utterly alone.

Niki never thought that her world could fall apart harder and faster than it did that night.

She sat in her cottage the following morning, completely numb. A mug of tea sat cold in her hands, having remained unmoved for the past hour. She’d made it out of habit. A sort of autopilot that took over in her shocked state when she'd woken up.

Tommy was gone. _Wilbur_ was gone.

She hadn’t spoken to anyone since she’d fled the inauguration the prior evening. The last thing she saw was Tubbo taking the sword from Schlatt, a look of utter horror on his face. That was when she ran.

She should have stayed behind. Tubbo was so scared and alone, she should have been there for him. But she didn’t know what she’d even be able to do. Every part of her wanted to scream and curse at Schlatt, fight back against the tyrant that stood at the head of their nation, but she’d been too overcome to take any course of action.

Tubbo was out there now, surely. She wished he wasn’t. It wasn’t fair for the young boy to be forced into that position, to be tasked with hunting down and killing his friends. Of course, he wouldn’t do it, but the pressure of the expectation Schlatt held over his head was daunting. The president knew exactly what he was doing, Niki thought. He knew that testing Tubbo in this way would break him, either prove he was loyal or out him as a traitor. Schlatt was heartless, a monster.

If it hadn’t been for the sharp knock at her door, she wouldn’t have ever moved from her spot. Her heart dropped at the sound, and she debated whether or not to open it. She set down the cold tea and crept towards the door, trying to see who it was out her window. Nothing. Niki shook her head, trying to gain courage, and she opened her door just a crack.

“Fundy.” She breathed in relief as she saw the familiar face, only to be startled as she fully opened the door. Behind him stood Schlatt and Quackity.

“Could we come in?” Schlatt asked. Niki froze, wanting to say no, but realizing she might not have a choice. She didn’t say anything, just backed away from the still open door with a stiff nod. Fundy stepped in first, giving her a smile that didn't look to be forced. Her friend didn’t seem to be anxious, as though he was with them on his own accord.

“Lovely home.” Quackity was the first to speak up, the complement seeming genuine. It wasn’t received by Niki, who stared blankly as she waited for them to explain why they were there.

“Niki, they just want to talk,” Fundy assured. Niki gave him a sideways glance, confused as to how he was so calm. Had he forgotten what the new ruler had done the night prior.

“We want to offer you a position in the cabinet.” Niki’s head quickly spun to Schlatt, who stared back with a calculated smile. She furrowed her brow, a slight snarl forming on her mouth.

“You _what_?” She questioned.

“We wanted to ask you if you’d like to maintain your position in L’Manberg’s cabinet,” Quackity reiterated.

“The people seem to like you, you’re a smart girl. We’d love to have you back, under the condition that you adhere to my new set of standards, of course.” Schlatt took a step towards her, she just stared at him. “Fundy told us Wilbur never even gave you an official title. We’d want to treat you better than that. You’re not the kind of person to be undervalued.”

Niki was completely baffled. Why was this tyrant trying to get her on his side? Did he really think she’d turn her back on her friends so easily, that these obvious manipulation tactics would sway her?

Realization struck her all of a sudden, her face dissolving from disgust to disbelief. “Fundy.. Did you agree to be on the cabinet?”

He gave her a nod as he shrugged his shoulders. “I was hesitant at first too but.. He has plans for the future Niki. There’s a lot of good he can do here, I know we saw him as a threat but I think we were too quick to judge. Wilbur and Tommy were getting out of hand. We needed change.”

The girl shook her head, not wanting to believe the words she was hearing. Fundy was siding with Schlatt. He was betraying L’Manberg.

“So?” The new president crossed his arms, moving in closer to her. “What do you say?”

Niki never got angry. She never felt rage. But in that moment, she did.

“Listen carefully to me when I say this. I will never, _ever_ , join your side. This is not your nation, this will never belong to you. You are a heartless monster Schlatt. You are not my president, and I will never bow down to the oppression you are bringing to L’Manberg.”

The words seemed to go through him, not changing the expression on his face. He glanced to Quackity, giving the faintest of nods, before turning for the door.

“Noted,” He said, Quackity following as he made his way out. “Lovely speaking with you.”

Fundy stood behind, wanting to say something to her, but at a loss. Niki was staring daggers into him, the anger of his disloyalty still strong enough to stop the inevitable wave of sorrow she would soon feel over the betrayal. Nothing he could say would change that, so he too followed the leaders back out into L’Manberg.

Neither Wilbur or Tommy slept the night they were banished.

When the sun finally came up the next morning they were physically and mentally exhausted. Fewer than ten words has been exchanged after their fight had been resolved, there wasn’t really anything to say. The new day brought a need for new strength though. Wilbur knew they would never make it if they remained where they were. He and Tommy had to make a plan.

“This cave is too open,” Wilbur’s comment came out of nowhere, stirring Tommy from the dazed state that had fallen over him, tired but too on edge to sleep. He was fully aware now though, processing what he’d heard.

“What.. where do we go then?”

Wilbur glanced to his right, eyeing the steep incline towards the mining shaft.

“Down.”

Despite knowing about its existence, Wilbur had never actually been inside the mines beneath the cavern that had provided them shelter. It could be full of mobs, it could be caved in, but they had to take their chances with whatever was beneath them. At least that would provide some sense of coverage. Wilbur fed more wood to the fire that had burned through the night, before tearing off a strip of his sleeve and wrapping it around the top of a sturdy, unused stick. He stepped out to check that the coast was clear, and quickly searched for a tree with sap on the outside. It took a few minutes, but he was eventually able to gather enough on the fabric to keep a flame going long enough for the two to explore the depths.

“Have your knife ready. If there are too many monsters for you to fend off, we get out,” Wilbur instructed, and he carefully began climbing down. The man made steps were a bit precarious, having been carved into the stone or fortified with planks of wood. They seemed to go on awhile before they finally reached a clearing. When they stepped out into the space, they were shocked.

They were standing in the middle of a giant ravine.

Both had forgotten to be on the look-out for threats, but luckily, there weren’t any down there. Whatever might have tried to wander in likely wouldn’t have been able to make it down the steps. The space was long and empty, each step seemed to echo on forever into the darkness. It was beautiful, in an eerie sense.

“Why the hell did Dream abandon _this_?” Tommy muttered under his breath. Wilbur shook his head, wondering the same thing. The resources must have been barren, but the sight of the underground ravine was jaw dropping.

“This is it. This is where we start our journey back to L’Manberg.”

Wilbur and Tommy walked the length of the cavern in both directions, estimating it to be about 100 meters. Plenty of room, more than the needed. Thankfully it was closed off, nothing could get in unless they went down the entrance they’d come. It was secure enough.

As though the haven couldn’t get any better, they’d found 30 oil lamps hung up across the stretch of the ravine, most still having some fuel left in them. It would last them a few days at least, before they’d have to find more fuel or rely solely on their fire pit. It was cold enough down there that they’d need one regardless, but having the option of mobile lighting was a blessing.

They lit a single lantern just in time for their hastily crafted torch to die out. The space around them was empty and gray, but it felt ever so slightly of home. It was all they had, and they could make it into something of hope.

Wilbur and Tommy emerged from the ravine, setting out just long enough to gather supplies for a fire. It was too dangerous to stay out looking for food or water now, Schlatt would surely have men out searching for them. The shorter they spent in the open the better. Wilbur made an attempt to get rid of the evidence of their fire in the entrance while Tommy went out to get more sticks and kindling. What he saw just outside the cave made him stop dead in his tracks though.

On the ground sat a basket of potatoes.

Tommy froze up, only able to scan the immediate area for signs of someone watching.

“Wilbur..” he sputtered out, just loud enough for the older man to hear the fear in his voice. He leapt out, ready to fend of an attacker with nothing but a charred stick, when he too noticed the food. Neither moved to approach it, unsure of why it was there or who left it. After a sold minute Wilbur decided that if someone was going to attack they would have done it by now, and resolved to search the items. Half tucked under one of the vegetables was a note written in small but legible handwriting.

_From a friend_

Wilbur hesitantly picked up a potato, bringing it to his nose to see if he could pick up a suspicious scent. Nothing about them seemed off, but the question still remained: Who left them, and why hadn’t they shown themselves?

He picked up the basket, turning to Tommy to ask him just that, when he noticed the boy’s paled face. He was staring into the forest just past Wilbur's shoulder, stunned. A voice from behind sent chills down Wilbur’s spine.

“I wasn’t the one who left those, but I would like to offer a hand in overthrowing a certain democratically elected official.”


	8. The Schlatt Administration

Wilbur grabbed the knife that Tommy held limply at his side, reacting on instinct at the sight of his old enemy. He pushed the boy behind him as he extended the weapon and squared off against the powerful man in front of him.

“How did you find us?” Wilbur barked. The man remained unmoved, not even making an attempt to reach for his own weapon. 

“I’ve been keeping an eye on Essempee and L’Manberg for a while now,” he stated calmly, “I don’t appreciate what Schlatt’s doing, and I want to help you put an end to it.”

“We don’t need help,” Wilbur countered, trying to stop his hand from shaking. The man scoffed motioning to the cavern behind them.

“I’d beg to differ.”

“We don’t need help from _you_ , Techno.”

Wilbur was watching for the slightest change in the man’s demeanor, but he gave no indication of his reaction. Instead Techno studied Wilbur, then Tommy, assessing the situation. He didn’t feel threatened in the least - he could easily take down both of them if he had to - but he needed to figure out the best way to convince the two refugees to let him into their ranks.

“Be honest with yourselves. You’ve got literally nothing, you _need_ someone powerful on your side if you even want a chance of taking Schlatt down.” Techno’s tone was sincere but firm. Wilbur knew he was right, they did need someone powerful, but if there was anyone to be wary of it would be Techno. After everything that had happened between them, did Techno really think Wilbur would just agree to an allyship?

“Why would I trust you?” Wilbur asked. 

“Because I act on my best interests, and my best interests are to take down Schlatt. Teaming up with you and Tommy will better my chances of doing so.”

“You’re an anarchist. You just want to cause chaos, what’s stopping you from turning on us when our guard is down?”

“Exactly. I’m an anarchist. Do you think I’d side with a government?” The question triggered unpleasant memories for Wilbur, ones he had to quickly dismiss; he turned to Tommy briefly, trying to hide the pain in his eyes, before looking back to his former friend. Techno leaned nonchalantly against a nearby tree, crossing his arms. “Look, I’ve been watching you all night, if I wanted to kill you I would have done it by now.”

The idea made Wilbur’s stomach turn, but he knew there was truth in the statement. Techno wasn’t particularly showy; he wouldn’t set up an elaborate scheme, he’d simply act. If he wanted Wilbur and Tommy dead, then they would have been long gone. Instead, he’d revealed himself and offered a deal. Techno had given up his concealment, he’d finally confronted Wilbur after remaining in the shadows for over a decade, and that had to mean something.

“Can I have a word with my associate. Alone.” The statement wasn’t a question, more so a demand. Techno nodded, backing away further into the tree line, but still in sight. The two retreated into the mine’s opening.

“What the hell just happened,” Tommy squeaked out, looking rapidly between Wilbur and Technoblade. The man who’d ambushed them wasn’t unfamiliar to the teen, and the knowledge of his capabilities both terrified and excited the boy.

“I don’t know if we should trust him,” Wilbur said, pushing past the fact that Techno had appeared out of nowhere at precisely the most opportune moment.

“He said he doesn’t want to hurt us. We do need the help.. but I don’t know anything about him.” Tommy stared hard into Wilbur’s eyes. “But you do, don’t you.”

Wilbur looked past Tommy at the gray wall, not wanting to delve into it. “I know him well enough to know he’s a wild card. The fact that he’s here now.. It makes me believe he’s telling the truth.”

“So?” Tommy waited for the official word, still nervous under the circumstances of their situation.

“At this point, I don’t think we even have the option of declining his offer. I say we agree, but we keep our guard up. We’ll know soon enough where his allegiances truly lie.”

They both reemerged, Techno meeting them once again. It was like a standoff, an incredibly outmatched standoff. This was a turning point, once Wilbur made the call there would be no going back.

“Techno, if I were to let you on my side – ”

“Our side.”

Wilbur looked to Tommy, correcting himself with a sigh. “If I were to let you onto _our_ side, Technoblade, would you prepare us to fight back?”

Techno gave the slightest smile, replying with a simple nod. “I would do that.”

To Wilbur's surprise, the official partnership had taken a weight off his shoulders. He turned to Tommy one more time. This was the beginning of the end.

“Tommy Innit, we need to take back L’Manberg.”

It seemed like the entirety of Essempee was on top of the world the night of Schlatt’s inauguration.

That evening was surreal in many ways. People hadn’t truly thought that the outsider would win. It was an interesting hypothetical, they’d thought. What if an unpredictable fugitive and his men came into L’Manberg and took over? How crazy would that be?

Apparently not crazy enough, considering it had all happened in the blink of an eye.

It wasn’t necessarily Schlatt’s presidency that stirred the people of Essempee into excitement, rather his actions of banning Wilbur and Tommy. The two had openly slandered and defamed Essempee for years; they had an air of superiority, as though their acts of violence to break away from the established system were something to be proud of. From the people’s perspective, Wilbur was a far worse leader than Dream would ever be. Without knowing what really went on between the two sides, it seemed like the formation of L’Manberg was a mere show of power. No one knew the full extent of oppression the people of the new nation fought against, something Dream made sure of, so it made sense that they’d view Wilbur and Tommy as the bad guys. Schlatt was the hero in their story, the one to make changes to the exclusionary, haughty state.

Dream did know the full story though. He didn’t view Wilbur and Tommy as the bad guys, he viewed them as people who were acting on what they thought to be right. In the end it didn’t matter to Dream who was in the right or the wrong, what he wanted was to maintain the system he’d set up for the people, Essempee and L’Manberg alike. They were one of few functioning civilizations remaining, something Schlatt was threatening.

At the end of the day, both nations were held within the same walls. L’Manberg and Essempee were one in the same in many aspects, meaning whatever Schlatt did in L’Manberg would bleed into Essempee.

All these thoughts ran through Dream’s mind as he sat alone in his bedroom the night after the election. He’d remained cooped up on his own, not making an appearance since what he’d witnessed at the inauguration. The country was now headed by a man who so clearly wanted nothing more than power, who didn’t truly care about anything but vengeance and personal gain. A once hopeful nation was split into pieces, the people who voted in the outsider now dealing with the consequences of their actions. Everyone was suddenly faced with choosing a side; join his malicious regime or fall with their exiled founder. Dream watched his own nation's citizens as they pulled weapons on the former leaders of L’Manberg, leaders who had upheld peace and civility despite the apparent fact that they despised him. Yet through all this, his citizens danced and sung in the streets at the arrival of the tyrant.

For the briefest moment, Dream wondered if the people of L’Manberg looked at him the same way he was looking at Schlatt now.

George and Sapnap burst suddenly into Dream’s room, not caring enough to knock before invading his space. He shot up from his bed, annoyed at the smiles and laughs the two carried into the room.

“Where have you been Dream? You’re missing out on everything,” George said as he flopped carelessly into the closest chair. Sapnap propped himself against Dream’s bed post.

“It’s like we’ve been running the whole country. You might as well just step down now. We have a good handle on things, don’t we George,” Sapnap teased, his friend nodded happily.

“We’re putting together plans for a welcoming event for Schlatt and Quackity, we just need you to give your kingly stamp of approval,” George stated.

Dream spun to face him, eyes narrowing, “You’re doing what?”

“A welcome party! We’ll put together a little gift, have a nice event, you know – a congratulations for winning the election!”

Dream had to hold back a scoff at George’s statement, trying to toe the line carefully between being wary of Schlatt and outright disavowing him. “So you’re just going to trust Schlatt and Quackity, you’re not at all apprehensive about what they’ll do now that they’re in power?”

“Not really. I mean, they don’t like Tommy and Wilbur, we don’t like Tommy and Wilbur, our values seem to line up perfectly!” Sapnap still had the jovial tone in his voice. It was as though neither could read the room.

“He banished Wilbur and Tommy into the wilderness.”

“Something we should have done years ago!”

Dream gave disapproving stares to both of them, his stern look finally seeming to get through. “If the first thing someone does when they receive power is use it to punish those that opposed them, then you should be critical of what that person’s intentions are.”

The two were quiet for a moment, adjusting to the shift into more serious territory.

“Look, we know that Schlatt isn’t the most morally upstanding president, but that’s the point. L’Manberg has gone to shit, they’re not going to last another week at this rate. Either Schlatt destroys them or they destroy themselves, it’s a win for us either way,” George reasoned. The idea that George and Sapnap were glad to see the country in shambles was a bit worrisome to Dream. Of course he wasn’t happy with the fact that he’d lost a piece of his kingdom to the rebels, but they’d at least found an agreement that meant both sides could move forward without more conflict.

Dream wanted to yell at them for being stupid, for not realizing the danger Schlatt was putting Essempee in by infiltrating their diplomatically-sound civilization. However, it was clear that both of them were hard set in their acceptance of L’Manberg’s downfall, and the last thing Dream needed was inner conflict between his officials. He pushed it all down with a heavy sigh, deciding it was best to play the middle ground for now.

“Go ahead and have whatever celebration you want for Schlatt, but don’t be idiots about it. We don’t let him on our land, the condition barring L’Manberg from entering Essempee still stands. Be on guard, we don’t know what his plans are. We can try and at least establish neutrality with his administration, we don’t need another enemy.”

The two nodded like children being told off, and exchanged glances before exiting with simple affirmations to Dream’s conditions. The king felt like he was alone in this, the only one who could look past the pettiness of wanting L’Manberg to fall. There was no way this would end without a fight, and Dream needed to be ready for when the inevitable happened. More importantly, he needed allies to support him, because right now his closest friends were following a path that would put them on the wrong end of his sword.

Technoblade was sent to the far end of the ravine while Wilbur and Tommy set up their area and checked over their wounds for signs of infection. The fire they’d made was right next to the stairs, giving them time to act in case Techno did in fact decide to betray them. As things stood now, Wilbur doubted that would happen, but the man was unpredictable. He also just didn’t like the idea of being close to him in any regard.

Tommy was clearly very unsure about the whole situation. He knew of Techno, but most of his knowledge came from second-hand stories. The man was very introverted, he had few friends and even fewer people he confided in. The only things Tommy knew for sure to be true was that his real name was Dave - something he refused to go by - and that he had been arrested when Tommy was 7. Techno had broken out of the cell within the week though, and wasn’t seen or heard from again.

The last thing Tommy knew was that Wilbur and Techno were close friends before Techno got arrested, but something in between had caused a rift. It was very obvious that whatever happened was detrimental enough to lead Wilbur to think that Techno wanted to kill him. Wilbur wasn’t offering up that information though, and Tommy wasn’t going to start prying into his mentor’s past. Still, the teen had a right to know, considering he was trusting Wilbur’s choice to allow Techno into their ranks. But that would remain undiscussed for the time being. 

Tommy watched the shadows dancing down the far end of the ravine, Techno’s own fire just a faint glow in the distance. He and Wilbur were sitting opposite each other, the older man lost in thought. It had been a few hours since they’d let Techno join their side, a few hours of silence.

“What’s the plan?” The teens voice echoed off the walls, and he wondered if Techno could hear it. Wilbur barely stirred.

“I don’t know. We wait for this day to pass, keep an eye on Technoblade.”

“Do you really think he’s on our side?”

Wilbur pondered the inquiry, unsure of the answer. He couldn’t let Tommy see his doubt though. “I wouldn’t have let him join if I thought he wasn’t. He may be a force of anarchy, but he’ll follow his own code. He’s not lawless, he just makes his own laws.”

Tommy glanced down once again to the spot where Techno sat. He couldn’t see the unfamiliar ally, but he knew he was there. 

“We’ll give him a chance to prove himself.” Wilbur sighed. “I just can’t trust him right now. It’s too risky to get comfortable.”

“We’ll get more help soon though. We’ll get Tubbo, and Niki and Fundy,” Tommy said.

Wilbur just nodded, not entirely sure. He wanted to have faith in his friends, but he also knew Schlatt would do whatever it took to turn everyone against them. “We have to be careful who we confide in. I know you trust Tubbo - I want to trust him too - but we don’t know what’s been happening in L’Manberg.”

Tommy looked dejected at the thought, and his mind immediately rejected the warning. It was Tubbo, his best friend, his brother.

“What about Niki?”

Wilbur hesitated. “Niki too. I believe she’ll be on our side but.. We just don’t know.”

Another heavy silence took over for a while. Niki hung heavy on Wil’s mind, and he absentmindedly reached for his pocket watch. He felt the cool metal of the chain pool up in his palm. He clutched it in his hand, not even wanting to open it. He didn’t really care what time it was. 

Restlessness had slowly been infecting Tommy over the past hours. Eventually he’d taken to throwing rocks against the wall to fill the time, the sound of clattering stone slowly eating away at Wilbur’s nerves. Once Tommy realized the frustration he was causing, he opted to stand up and move around instead. There weren’t many places to go; the light of the fire only reached so far, and he wasn’t keen on moving any closer to Technoblade. He wandered around without thinking much where he was going, only stopping when he felt his boot scrape up against an object. He bent down, and in the low light he could see the outline of a small, round button – the one Wilbur had thrown down the steps the previous night. It was slightly dinged around the edges, but still in one piece. Tommy quietly pocketed the button that his mentor had rejected, feeling a wave of sadness overtake him. Wilbur was defeated. Everything had fallen apart so quickly and more intensely than either had imagined. Schlatt had truly ruined their lives. 

Tommy slowly moved back to his spot across from Wilbur, slumping down and pulling his knees to his chest. “You know.. I used to look up to Schlatt.”

Wilbur perked up, the statement being dropped on him like an anvil. “What?”

“Back when I was young, I..” Tommy gave a melancholic shrug. “I wanted to be like Schlatt. He always got what he wanted. He didn’t care about the rules. But he still seemed smart, like he didn’t even need to be in school. He was everything I wanted to be. I was a stupid kid.”

The teen paused, glancing up at Wilbur. “The thing is, I never much paid attention to you back then. I knew you were Schlatt’s friend, which was cool, but nothing more. It was always about Schlatt. I told myself that one day I’d be just like him, but now.. now you’re the one I look up to. Who would have thought, you know? I was looking at the wrong person for so many years. You were right there, and I was looking to the wrong person.”

Wilbur felt tears well up in his eyes as Tommy spoke. Words couldn’t describe the love he had for the boy. Ever since the broken twelve year old had been sent to the Outskirts, the moment he took the child under his wing, Wilbur knew he’d found a little brother. Tommy had grown into the man he was today because of Wilbur, and everyday he was grateful that the world had led the boy into his life.

Tommy could see how his words were affecting Wil, something he hadn’t meant to do. Rarely had he seen him get emotional like this. It somehow made him feel better though, a sign that Wilbur reciprocated the closeness Tommy felt for him.

Wilbur blinked away the tears, smiling for the first time in days. “You’ve been the best right hand man I could ask for Tommy.”

They might have shared a hug, another rarity for both of them, had they not been interrupted by the sound of footsteps making their way down the ravine. Wilbur jumped to his feet, slyly unsheathing Tommy’s knife just in case Techno made an attempt to attack them.

When the figure came into view he wasn’t holding a weapon, and looked more calm than before, if that was possible. Both men were on their feet, watching him approach in silence. Techno stopped, looking between them before motioning behind him.

“Were either of you aware that there’s another exit out of this ravine?” He asked, earning confused looks from both of them.

“What do you mean?” Tommy asked.

“There’s a passageway at the end of the ravine. I decided to check it out, you know, stretch my legs. It goes on for awhile and breaks into more mine shafts.” Both Tommy and Wilbur seemed to realize the implications of what Techno was saying at the same moment, eyes lighting up as their ally confirmed their thoughts.

“It seems as though we have a tunnel that leads us right into the mines outside L’Manberg.”

Niki found a notice tacked to her bakery’s door the day after her encounter with Schlatt. The contents were brief, and she wasn’t at all surprised by what it read.

_Due to recent changes in administration and public policy, an increase in taxes has been implemented for select individuals within L’Manberg. Funds have been retroactively collected to comply with new changes, and will continue to be gathered on the first Sunday of each month. Inability to abide by these new laws will be met with appropriate force._

_President Schlatt_

_Vice President Quackity_

A quick glance at the other businesses around her showed she was the only one with such a note. She knew immediately what the notice was: a scare tactic. If she wouldn’t comply with Schlatt’s commands voluntarily, he would harass her until she gave in to his rule. It wouldn’t work though, he could take everything from her and she still wouldn’t abandon her friends and her country.

It was made clear right away what Schlatt meant when he said he had “retroactively collected” the taxes she owed. Her bakery had been ransacked, the hidden spot where she kept her shop’s earning had been emptied. Anything of value was removed. It didn’t make her feel intimidated, as Schlatt had intended. Instead, she just felt more anger towards the scummy president. It was clear he had no moral compass; he was willing to rob a disobedient citizen just because she spoke out against him, and that wasn’t even close to what she knew he was capable of. Nevertheless, she just cleaned up the space and set off to work, determined to meet the needs of the people in her community regardless of who was leading it.

Despite her efforts to remain emotionally upright, finding the motivation to keep living like nothing was wrong took all of Niki’s energy. Behind her feigned smile she was exhausted, the toll of the past three days weighing heavy on her. Not only was her world crumbling, but she’d been incredibly alone. There was a general atmosphere of unsettlement among the citizens, many had stayed hidden away in their homes in fear of what their nation would become. Some shops were temporarily closed, and a few of her regulars hadn’t come in for their usual purchases. She decided to gather up her customer’s orders and deliver them in person, hoping the distraction would alleviate some of her compiling stress. There was so little she could control, she had to hold onto what she could.

Each time the small bell hanging in front of her door went off she felt a moment of dread wash over her. She didn’t want to be fearful of who might walk in, but she couldn’t deny instincts. The worst thing was that she didn’t truly know who was safe and who wasn’t; Schlatt had already begun to coerce people to join his side. Fundy - a leader of their community - had turned against the country, there were bound to be more following in the same footsteps. Eyes and ears were everywhere, no certainty of who they were loyal to. Niki had to be careful with who she trusted. Perhaps that was what made her feel so incredibly isolated: not knowing who was her truly her ally.

As she was pulling out a pan of bread from the oven, a faint chime signaled her door being opened once more. The soft noise almost made her drop the hot metal. She moved quickly to set it down, glancing out from behind her counter to the person standing nervously in her shop.

“Niki?” Her heart leapt, relief coming over her like never before.

“Toby!” She threw off her oven mitts and rushed over to the teen, pulling him into a tight hug. She wanted to cry, finally seeing him safe and out of Schlatt’s grasp. Ever since the inauguration he’d been trapped under the president’s watchful eye, having no free-will over himself as the new leader tried to subdue him into being a loyal follower. He was here now though, and Niki would do whatever it took to make sure Tubbo was looked after. They were both in the same position, having lost their closest friends, drowning in the waves of the election. If there was one person they could trust, it was each other. They needed each other.

“Are you okay? What has Schlatt done?” Niki ran a hand over his hair and checked for any signs of injury. She didn’t want to let Tubbo go, as if someone would take him away the moment her hand left him. He tried his best to hide the hurt on his face, but she could see how overwhelmed he was.

“I’m fine. He hasn’t hurt me, he hasn’t hurt anyone, I don’t think. I’ve just been..” He looked out the windows to the street, shuffling where he stood. “So much has happened. I don’t know where to start.”

“Don’t work yourself up. Let’s go back to my house, we can calm down and you can talk to me when you’re ready. As long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters,” She rubbed his shoulder soothingly, but he shook his head.

“He’s planning another speech. I don’t know why, he just kept telling us it would be important. That’s why I’m here, it’s the first time I’ve been able to get away from Schlatt, I’m supposed to be telling everyone. He wants me at his side every hour of the day Niki. He keeps telling me how important I am to L'Manberg. I don’t know why he chose me. I don’t want this!” Tubbo was crying now, but his voice remained steady. It was as though he was trying not to let on his true emotions, the only evidence of his pain being the streaks down his face. Niki pulled him into another hug, letting him rest his head on her shoulder.

“I’m so sorry Tubbo. You just have to be strong. You’re so brave.” She began to tear up as the boy heaved a soft sob into her dress.

“I don’t want to do this. I just want Tommy back.” He pulled away suddenly, wiping his eyes with the back of his jacket sleeve – no longer the L’Manberg navy, but a deep black. “He sent me to kill them Niki. I was in the wilderness for hours but.. I couldn’t find them.”

She was at a loss for words, trying to come to terms with the torment he’d been through. Nothing she could say would comfort him, all she could do was try an instill in him the courage to keep going. “Schlatt is trying to break you. He knows you’re strong, he knows you’d be a powerful enemy, so he’s doing whatever he can to keep you on his side. I know this isn’t easy. Trust me, I know. But if Schlatt thinks you’re loyal to him, then you’ll be safe. Just keep playing his game. We’ll find Wilbur and Tommy soon, and when we do we will take back L’Manberg.”

He nodded, rubbing his face and looking out into the street again. It was amazing how quickly he’d managed to wipe away the remnants of his breakdown. Niki felt sick as she wondered if it was because he’d done it so many times already.

“Fundy’s there too.” Niki cringed at the statement.

“I know. They tried to get me to join the cabinet as well,” she responded. Tubbo didn’t meet her eyes.

“Is he really on Schlatt’s side? I thought it was all an act, the same way I've been pretending to agree with everything, but..”

“I don’t think it’s an act Tubbo.”

He stared at the floor. The words sat like stone in his mind, confirming a suspicion he didn’t want to believe.

“I can’t stay for long. Schlatt’s expecting me back.” He hung his head low as he pushed past her, but she caught his arm before he could leave.

“Tubbo.. Stay safe. I’ll always be here for you, don’t forget that.”

Niki waited anxiously amongst the crowd, keeping to herself off to the side of the people. Her cloak was pulled over her head, the hood partially covering her face and keeping out the early evening chill. Grey clouds had rolled into the sky, bringing with them a light drizzle. It was the perfect mood for the event. She wanted it to be over with.

Fundy and Tubbo stood behind Schlatt and Quackity, each donning matching coats. Tubbo hadn’t looked up the entire time he’d been on stage. Fundy, on the other hand, seemed excited for whatever was to come. Schlatt’s powerful voice rang out, quelling the crowd’s hushed whispering.

“People of L’Manberg! The sun rises over another beautiful day in our country. We are writing another chapter in our history, the next page in the textbook our children will be reading for years to come.” Quackity grinned as the president spoke, nodding along to each word. Schlatt paused, shifting into a look of disappointment as he continued.

“Your former leaders have done this country a great disservice. Fear of the world beyond your borders has led to complacency, you’ve restricted yourselves from being able to build this nation into something great! Under my governance, we will not limit ourselves any longer. We are past the era of boarding ourselves in, of being restrained by walls and boundaries. I reckon our nation needs to expand. I reckon we take down the walls.”

A cacophony of reactions overtook the people. Niki lost her breath, she had to force herself to swallow in air as she reacted to the declaration.

“You have no right to do that Schlatt!” She yelled into the commotion, but her words were lost amongst the other voices. Schlatt held up a hand, palm facing out to quiet them. Quackity yelled out a demand for silence, the people eventually obeying.

“The walls aren’t the only thing preventing us from moving forward. If we want to make this nation into something great, we need to start fresh. Once the walls have been completely dismantled and the cage that has held back the citizens has been removed, we will be a new country. No more living in the past. No longer will this country be called L’Manberg. From this moment on, our great nation will be known as Manberg.”

Niki couldn’t stop herself as she raced forward towards the podium. She didn’t know what she would do when she got there, but she couldn’t stand by and watch this man destroy the world she helped build. She could hear his parting words ring in her ears as she pushed through the crowd.

“Effective immediately, all able-bodied citizens of L’Manberg are required to help tear down the walls of this country. Let’s get to work.”

Tubbo was frozen in his spot. Quackity and Fundy moved off the stage to begin distributing tools and equipment for the destruction of the walls. Tubbo was left alone, and he acted before he thought better of it.

“Schlatt I don’t know if this is a good idea. Those walls are there to protect us from Essempee – from Dream – ”

“Are you questioning me Tubbo?” Something in Schlatt’s stare was crippling, and Tubbo couldn’t find the words to respond. The president stepped towards him, a single finger pointed in his direction. “If you’re not going to find Tommy and Wilbur, you might as well make yourself useful. This wall comes down.”

Schlatt moved past him to join the rest of the cabinet, leaving Tubbo to recompose himself. He didn’t break free of his trance until he heard Niki’s shouts of anger from the front of the dispersing crowd.

“You’re a tyrant Schlatt!” Tubbo raced down to her, scared for what Schlatt might do to the enraged woman. Quackity and Schlatt had their backs to him, and he could see Niki’s small form through the gap in between them. The hood that had once hid away her face had now fallen.

Tubbo moved in between them, physically holding Niki back as she tried to advance on the President. She didn’t let up her protests though. “You are not going to get away with this!”

Schlatt chuckled as though he was watching a child throw a fit. He motioned to the people of L’Manberg – no, the people of _Manberg_ – as they began following his commands.

“I already have.”

Niki wriggled out of Tubbo’s hold, looking at the president with fury in her eyes. Schlatt turned to his oldest cabinet member, beckoning him over.

“Fundy!” The man quickly approached at the sound of his name. “We need to wipe this country of any reminders of its past. Grab a torch, I think that flag is the first thing that should go.”

“No!” Niki protested as Fundy hesitantly looked between his president and his friends, eventually falling away from the group in search of the tool he was requested to get. “No, Fundy you can’t do that!”

Tubbo couldn’t hold her back this time as she ran to the base of the flag pole, doing whatever she could to stop the destruction of her creation. All too soon Fundy was approaching, a roaring flame held out to the side and a pensive stare plastered across his face.

“You can’t!” She ran towards him, grabbing his coat and trying to push him away from his target. Fundy felt his heart tear in two, watching as his friend desperately pleaded for him not to follow his orders.

“Niki –” He tried to say, but she wouldn’t listen.

“This isn’t right! You’re betraying L’Manberg! You’re betraying everything we’ve built here!” She began hitting his chest, her last act of defiance. He used his free hand to grab her wrist, pulling her off of him.

“It’s time to move on Niki. A new era is upon us.” There was no emotion in his voice. He had to do this. They would make a new flag. It was time to move on from the past and look to the future.

“No! Please Fundy..” She fell to the ground. Feeling utterly helpless as her friend approached the pinnacle of L’Manberg. He was going to burn it down.

He gave her one last glance, trying to push away his feelings of guilt as he extended the torch to the rope that connected the flag to the post. It slowly traveled up like a wick, everyone watching on as it finally caught the corner of the fabric. Despite the moisture that had began to build from the sky, the cloth held the flame, and seconds later the flag was completely engulfed.

The blazing fire roared high above the city. It pulled the attention of the people away from their required task, a collective silence as the flag turned to ash and dust. They all watch the symbol of their old nation dissipate into the clouded sky, finally solidifying the permanence of Schlatt’s reign. L’Manberg was gone. Long live Manberg. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following note is just me reconciling some thoughts about this story, so if you want to read it feel free. I mainly just needed to think out loud. 
> 
> I've been coming to the realization that a lot of aspects that make the real events of the Dream SMP so intriguing aren't things that can translate into my story. That's disappointing for a lot of reasons, but it does have some upsides. Like I've already touched on, there are so many plot points in the SMP that I can't cover for clarity and times sake. A lot of alliances and conflicts (such as the battle of the lake) won't make it into this fic. With arcs like the battle of the lake people are constantly changing sides one day and flipping back the next because their actions don't necessarily have to be realistic. I made this story with the specific intention of having a more realistic retelling rather than a fantasy one, because I thought it would make for an interesting series. As much as I love what I've done, this is a bummer considering I have to omit a lot of areas to maintain a feasible story line.  
> The thing that has been the most challenging (in good and bad ways) is trying to translate fantasy minecraft into circa 1800 era reality. Things like potions and creepers don't actually exist, so I had to work around it or make it realistic. The biggest disappointment for me has been the realization that I won't be able to replicate Techno's wither finale without changing my universe to allow for magical creatures. The intensity of that final battle is something I'll either have to omit or rework, but I don't think anything will come close to what happened on the SMP. I will say that the fact that I had to rework story points has actually been a fun challenge in many ways, and I like figuring out how to put these arcs together in a new way. Overall the loss of many elements is a huge bummer, but leaves room open for me to work creatively to retell the story Wilbur and the others have wrote through the SMP.  
> If anyone has ideas of how they might rework the plot points in more realistic ways I'd love to hear them! I've already planned out most of my story, but there are still holes I need to fill as I draw nearer to the end of the fic.
> 
> TLDR: Because my story is realistic it will be missing direct occurrences from the SMP, but I get to be creative in how I retell the story.


	9. Helpless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.. this is a LONG chapter.  
> I was tempted to split it in half, both to be able to update sooner and to keep down word count, but I felt like it would mess with the flow of the future chapters. Thanks for your patience, hopefully this 9,000 word chapter makes up for the late update!

After four days of waiting in the depths of the ravine, Tommy and Wilbur finally decided it was time to make a move. They weren’t well equipped, and they didn’t truly have a plan, but they couldn’t stop themselves from going back to L’Manberg. It was agony being trapped in that cave with no idea of what Schlatt was doing to their country. They knew they would have to be careful, but they needed to let someone know they were alive. Tommy suggested writing a letter to Tubbo and leaving it in the only place that may be hidden enough from the public, but still frequented by the secretary of state: their bench. It was risky, but they had to reach out. They used paper from Techno’s limited supplies to write a vague message about their situation, telling Tubbo to meet them in the place they were betrayed. He would know what that meant. 

Techno wasn’t keen on hanging around in their ravine, but Wilbur and Tommy were adamant that he stay away from the main cities. Wilbur gave him the go-ahead to check out the surrounding woods, but didn’t want the added stressor of Technoblade roaming around and potentially getting caught. He also didn’t trust him enough to let him join them. So, their conditional-ally begrudgingly agreed, as long as he would be allowed into L’Manberg during their next excursion. 

Tommy and Wilbur were incredibly nervous as they moved through the tunnels back into the area of L’Manberg. It seemed like it had been years since they’d been back in their home, and the anxiety of seeing it again was weighing on them.

As they finally reached the opening at the bottom of the mine they stopped. Neither had been back to the fateful location; memories of Dream and his men jumping them burned in their minds. Tommy lowered his head, trying to shake the thought of Eret as he pushed onward.

“Let’s go,” he mumbled. Wilbur stared at the spot where Eret had stood, his mind flaring in anger. The idea of walking through the corrupted mineshaft each time they wanted to get to L’Manberg disgusted him. 

As they pushed onward they were as silent as possible, using the forest as cover from any watchful eyes. The walk of saddening memories didn’t end with the mines though, as they soon reached the area of trees that had been burned away by Sapnap during the war. The dense greenery faded out into the scarred, ashy tree trunks. They stood like ghosts of the past. The men moved quickly through them, to avoid both the lack of coverage and the recollections of the past.

It wasn’t until they reached the top of the hill a few hundred meters away that they saw it. They looked down upon their nation – the nation they fought and bled for – to see the walls they built being torn down. The last piece of protection against the forces that opposed them was being destroyed by the people it was meant to protect. 

Wilbur was stunned. He stepped forward, hand outstretched as though he could reverse the damage just by touching it. Tommy placed a cautious hand on his back, saying his name softly. 

The ex-president broke when he saw their flag burnt and left tattered in the wind.

“L’Manberg my unfinished symphony..” He fell to his knees, Tommy following as he put both hands on Wilbur. Nothing could comfort him because nothing could reverse the destruction Schlatt had wrought on their nation. “They’re destroying the walls.. the walls I built to protect them.”

Wilbur thought he’d become numb to pain at this point. He’d set out on the journey thinking he’d prepared for every possible outcome, every possible act Schlatt might have committed. It turned out he hadn’t. The walls seemed immovable, permanent. They’d been up since the beginning of the war, they’d provided the protection they needed. And the flag.. the symbol of all he’d created, now reduced to charred remains of their lost achievements.

Tommy let Wilbur take the moment to process his grief, but they couldn’t stay out in the open for long. The cover the walls would have provided them was gone, instead creating a risk with how many people were working to tear it down.

“Wilbur.. we need to go.” Tommy gently pulled him upwards, Wilbur reluctantly followed without moving his gaze from the dismantled walls.

Tommy made sure to keep the note to Tubbo secure in his pocket. The two finally reached L’Manberg, once again using a nearby tree to climb up and over an intact section of the wall. Constant nervous glances were directed towards the people working further down, but they were far enough away that no one seemed to notice their infiltration. The moment their feet hit L’Manberg soil they felt an unexpected wave of emotions. Wilbur knew he was back in his country, but it didn’t feel comforting. He felt like an outsider already. 

“Go leave the note, quickly.” Wilbur’s skin was crawling and he didn’t want to remain in the shell of the nation any longer than he had to. Tommy moved further up the hill towards the bench, Wilbur remained where he was watching for any signs of danger. 

As Tommy approached the sentimental spot, he couldn’t help but linger for a moment. He thought back to the last time he and Tubbo were there, remembering the afternoon they had shared before the election results. If only he’d known that would be the last time he would be a free man in his country. 

“Tommy.” He was snapped out of his daze at the sound of Wilbur’s voice, turning and running back to where they’d entered from. Wilbur had the knife in hand, scanning the bushes with intense focus. A rustle, they turned to the noise.

“Wil?” 

Wilbur relaxed his entire body, dropping the knife and running forwards. Niki emerged from behind a tree, a smile as big as she’d ever worn. The two collided in the middle, Wilbur wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a kiss. Nothing else mattered at that moment. Niki placed both hands on Wilbur’s face, not letting him pull away as she held him as close as possible. 

Tommy watched silently from further back, always knowing there was something between them. The two clearly didn’t care if the secrecy of their bond had been revealed, the euphoria of seeing each other alive was the only thing on their mind.

“You’re alive. Thank God you’re alive.” She was almost crying tears of relief, pushing his unkempt hair out of his face. He beamed down at her, pulling her against his chest.

“Is everyone okay?” Wilbur asked, still holding her close.

“We’re as good as we can be..” She pulled away to look at him before quickly shifting her gaze to Tommy. 

“I’m so happy to see you two,” she said as she pulled Tommy into a hug as well. He gave her a tight squeeze, thankful to see her.

“What’s happened since we’ve been gone? We saw the walls..” Tommy asked solemnly.

“So much.. I don’t know where to start,” She scanned the area before continuing. “Schlatt’s destroying L’Manberg. He’s forcing everyone to tear down the wall, he’s taxing and stealing from me for speaking out. He’s trying to call L’Manberg, _Manberg_. And the things he’s doing to the people.. He forced Tubbo to hunt you two down and kill you. He’s keeping him at his side every second of the day. And Fundy.. He’s on Schlatt’s side. He burned down the flag. I’m so scared, Wilbur. I’ve been trying to stay strong but it’s getting harder and harder.” 

The two listened on in despondent silence. It was worse than they could have imagined. Tommy felt his heart break in pieces when she’d told them about Tubbo. His best friend was hunting him down. Fundy had turned against them for Schlatt. 

“I’m so sorry Niki,” Wilbur murmured. Both the refugees stood by silently as they digested the situation. Wilbur had hoped that seeing Niki would turn things around for the better, but his country was in a worse state than he’d thought. The mission to regain power was only made more difficult now.

“I want to help you and Tommy. I can’t stay here, it’s only getting worse each day. We need to take L’Manberg back.” Niki seemed resolute, like she’d already made up her mind. Wilbur’s breath hitched, he gave a concerned look to Tommy before turning back to the girl.

“Niki.. It’s too dangerous for you to come with us right now. I don’t want to leave you here but we can’t bring you back.” The hope in her eyes dimmed at the statement. She understood they weren’t in the best situation, but knowing they would leave her in Manberg was heartbreaking.

Wilbur placed a hand to her cheek, voice going softer. “We need you to support us for as long as possible. Having you in the city – with access to food and supplies – is going to be the most beneficial. I know you’re afraid but I just need you to hold on for a bit longer. I promise we’ll get you out of here soon.”

“Okay.” She nodded. This wasn’t the first time Wilbur had asked her to do something difficult, and she wouldn’t let him down. “Tell me what you need.”

“Get this note to Tubbo,” Tommy interjected. “He’s the only other one we know we can trust, we need to make sure he’s in the loop too.”

Niki nodded and took the note, folding it and placing it carefully in her jacket pocket.

“We also need supplies. Jackets, blankets, food, whatever you can sneak out of the city. Do you know where the mines are?” Niki nodded in affirmation to Wilbur’s question. “Leave them outside the entrance, be as quick as possible so no one notices you’ve left.”

It was all a bit overwhelming for the girl, but she nodded confidently as she accepted the task. If this was the best way she could support them, then she would wait as long as she had to in Manberg. She knew this wouldn’t last forever, she just had to hunker down and weather the storm. It was only a matter of time until they’d have the chance to act.

“Thank you Niki,” Tommy said with a nod.

“Stay safe. I have to get back before anyone realizes I’m gone. I’ll deliver supplies tomorrow, keep me updated as often as you can.” She gave them each another hug. The last thing she wanted was to cut their time short, but they were risking so much by talking with each other. Tommy began scouting out a tree to use to get back over the wall. Wilbur pulled Niki close one last time.

“Don’t do anything that will make Schlatt target you. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to you.” He whispered against the top of her head.

“I won’t. I’ll be okay, I promise.” Wilbur nodded.

“I’ll come back for you soon. I love you.”

The words fell from his mouth before he could think, both their hearts skipped a beat at the utterance. He’d meant what he said, but now wasn’t the time to say it. 

“Wilbur.” Tommy called him over to the wall, breaking the tension between the two. He stepped back, neither saying anything as they parted ways. With one last reassuring glance Wilbur joined Tommy as the climbed over the wall and back into the world beyond Manberg.

Quackity had been tasked with supervising the demolishing of Manberg’s walls for the last two days. It was the first light of the morning, he was stationed on a section that was still standing, looking over the first handful of citizens who had risen early to begin the long day’s work. The duties were flowing efficiently as the people continued chipping down the structure piece by piece. As each stone fell from its place it was as though the nation was getting brighter. No longer were they enclosed within their allotted land. Soon they’d have a view beyond the brick, to the fields and the river, to Essempee over the hill. The nation would be open, the first step in building Manberg stronger and better.

It had only been a few weeks since Quackity and Schlatt had arrived in what used to be L’Manberg, but he already felt like he was home. Anywhere would feel like home after you’d been a refugee for ten years.

Quackity didn’t often dwell on his past. Living in the wilds of the destroyed world was both mentally and physically exhausting. Each waking and sleeping moment was spent on edge; you never knew when a monster or marauder would be waiting behind a corner, no-where was safe out there. The idea of stability was foreign. You only stayed in a place as long as you had to. Everything you owned was carried on your back. It wasn’t living, it was surviving.

That’s why Manberg was so important to Quackity. It had been ten years since he’d had security, a place to call his own. Not only was he now in the safety of a society, but he was leading it. If he’d learned one thing over the past decade, it was to take nothing for granted. He’d gone from the lowest he could be to being giving an amazing opportunity, and he wasn’t going to waste the chance to do great things.

Manberg and Essempee were some of the few functioning civilizations that still remained on the continent. The land outside the walls were mostly compromised of lawless wastes and fruitless attempts of creating safety. At first, Quackity was hesitant to try and attempt to integrate into the established society of Essempee and L’Manberg, but when Schlatt explained his plan to run for the presidency he started coming around to the idea. Schlatt was so enthusiastic about all the positive changes they could bring, he talked about all the plans he’d enact when he was in power. He told him about Wilbur and the dictatorship he’d been infecting into the new nation, and how he planned to dethrone his controlling rule. Quackity knew they’d be seen as the bad guys, but that was only because they were challenging the people’s old way of thinking. The people of Manberg had no idea how lucky they were. This was something special, something that shouldn’t be withheld from anyone. It was meant to be shared with the abandoned survivors who’d managed to survive the hellscape out there. He wanted to be the one to bring people together peacefully into their nation. He could prove to himself and to Schlatt that he could be a leader.

Quackity sighed happily as he watched the people go about their task. Some of the faces of the strangers were becoming familiar now. He hadn’t come from the same country as Schlatt and all the others – he’d only come to know his leader when they happened to band together at the beginning of the pandemic. Even though he didn’t have the same connection he was excited to start growing bonds with the people. They might look to the leaders in a negative light now, but Schlatt assured him things would change once the people saw the good they would bring.

The supervisor was about to move from his look out spot to check on the workers when he noticed strange movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned to see a small figure making their way past the wall, creeping stealthily through the line of trees that ran along the edge of their territory. For a moment he thought that it was just someone wanting to take a break and get some fresh air, but as the person moved further and further away from the wall he started to realize something was wrong. He also noticed the figure’s hands to be full, they were carrying a large load with them.

Quackity descended the ladder as fast as he could, trying to catch up with the disappearing figure. By the time he got there they were gone. He figured whoever it was would need to come back sooner or later, and found himself another spot to watch for the person to return. It was about thirty minutes later when he spotted her.

She was clearly making attempts to stay out of sight from the group of workers several meters away. On top of that, she was no longer carrying the supplies with her. Alarm bells went off in Quackity’s mind as he put two and two together. He knew exactly who it was, and exactly what she was doing. It was the final piece of evidence Schlatt had been looking for, and Quackity wasted no time in running off to relay the information.

The morning after Tommy and Wilbur visited Manberg a collection of supplies had appeared outside the entrance of the mines. When they’d gotten back to their ravine with their haul they checked over everything to see what Niki had brought. Two new coats were the first things they pulled out; Tommy had been a bit reluctant to shed his L’Manberg uniform, but the blood stained, torn coat wasn’t going to be enough protection from the approaching cold. He carefully folded the old clothing and placed it to the side, vowing to wash and repair it when he could, before slipping on the new one. Wilbur seemed more than happy to discard his old garb in exchange for the long, dark brown jacket Niki provided. It was a relief to be rid of it, Wilbur thought. The constant reminder of his past failures was now abandoned.

Along with the coats were blankets, water canteens, and even a few books to keep them occupied in their cave. Niki had also thought to pack another knife, meaning they didn’t have to share Tommy’s between them anymore. Tommy found a green bandana, which he laid claim to as he tied it to his neck as a scarf. Wilbur agreed as long as he could have the only pair of gloves.

With everything taken stock of, Tommy tried to convince Wilbur to let him wait in the mine outside L’Manberg. The older man was hesitant at first, especially with the added risk of more people knowing their location. He ended up walking down there with Tommy, the two staying hidden for a few hours in the tunnel that branched out from the central mineshaft. After no sign of their friend Wilbur decided to head back to their ravine, not wanting to leave Techno unattended too long. Tommy stayed put, willing to wait the whole night if he had to. Luckily, he didn’t.

Tommy was dozing off against the stone wall, his body trying to catch up on all the lost sleep, when he heard shuffles coming down the steps. He sprung up almost instantly, heart pounding with excitement. He had to tell himself to wait and make sure it wasn’t an enemy. His hand was held at his side, ready to arm himself, when he heard the person call out.

“Tommy? Wilbur?”

The teen leapt from his hiding spot to see his best friend just now entering the familiar mine, lantern in hand. “Tubbo!”

Luckily he had the foresight to set the light down before Tommy launched into him. Tommy threw his arms around Tubbo, who returned the gesture. He could tell by the tightness in Tommy’s grip just how much his friend had missed him. Any concerns of Tommy distrusting him immediately disappeared as he clung to his best friend.

“Holy shit. I missed you so much.” Tommy still hadn’t let go.

“I didn’t think I’d see you again.. I was just so worried. But you’re okay.” Tubbo pulled away now, looking to see the state of his friend in the low light. He had bags under his eyes, his hair was tangled, and the mischievous glint in his eyes had faded. He was still Tommy though, and that’s all that mattered.

“Niki told us about the things Schlatt’s done. Is it true that he’s forced you to be at his side every minute of the day?” Tommy asked.

“Yeah. He let me keep the position of Secretary of State. He’s started calling me his right hand man.” Tubbo shifted uncomfortably. “It’s been a bit overwhelming if I’m honest. But I think it’s good if Schlatt thinks I’m on his side.”

Tommy nodded in agreement, though he hated the idea of Tubbo even pretending to be on the enemy’s team. “Is it safe for you to be here then? Wouldn’t he be suspicious of you being gone for so long?”

“No, that’s.. part of my job. Schlatt thinks I’m out looking for you – and, well, that’s technically not a lie.” He didn’t mention the fact that the point of his mission was to kill them. That was the last thing he wanted to think about.

“Oh.” Tommy remembered what Niki had said about Tubbo’s task to kill him and Wilbur. He didn’t want to think on it, so he grabbed the lantern and moved back into the tunnel towards the ravine. “Come on, I’ll show you our hiding spot. Wilbur has a lot he wants to talk about.”

Wilbur was thrilled when Tommy came back through the tunnel with Tubbo in tow. The reunion between the three of them had been so long anticipated, they all had to take a minute to appreciate the fact that they were in the same place once again. Tubbo was given a brief tour of the space, though there wasn’t much to show. He was also introduced to Technoblade, which was a bit awkward. Wilbur simply motioned to the man sitting several feet away and explained the situation of their allyship. Techno gave a nod of acknowledgment, but nothing more.

Tubbo felt strange being with Tommy and Wilbur again, but in a good way. It was so relieving to be out of the Schlatt’s sight, to not have to worry if the president was looking over his shoulder every second of the day. He could finally just relax and enjoy being in the company of his old friends.

The three sat around the ever-blazing fire for a long time. Only a small portion of the conversation was about Manberg, they tried not to dwell on the negatives. Instead they joked and laughed and felt free for the first time in weeks. The toll of the events leading up to and following the election had created a depressive atmosphere, one that was surprisingly being shaken in the depths of the hidden ravine.

“So what do you guys call this place?” Tubbo asked as he threw a few twigs into the fire.

“What do you mean?” Wilbur questioned.

“This cave, your secret hideout, have you guys named it anything?” Tubbo clarified. “It might make it feel less like a hole in the ground and more like a temporary home.”

“I guess I hadn’t though about that. What should we call it?” Tommy scratched the back of his neck, looking around at their drab surroundings. 

“What about.. the commune? I mean,” Tubbo gestured slightly nervously to Techno sitting off to the side, “You guys are taking in a bunch of people who need a home.”

“To be clear, I don’t need a home. I’m just here to enact rebellion,” Techno clarified in his monotone voice. Wilbur gives the faintest chuckle through a neutral expression.

“Yeah, the commune sounds like were a cult or something.” Tommy added. “What about.. Pogtopia? You know, like utopia, but different?”

Tubbo smiled at the name, Wilbur gave a slight nod. It sounded a bit silly, but Tommy seemed excited at the prospect of naming something on his own.

“I like Pogtopia,” he responded. Tubbo agreed and Tommy felt pleased at the fact that they now how something to call their secret headquarters. Techno didn’t give any verbal confirmation on how he felt about the name, but the smirk he tried to hide as he shook his head showed his amusement through the pretend exasperation.

Eventually a few hours had passed and Tubbo knew he had to leave. It would start to raise suspicion if he stayed out for too long. Besides, Schlatt was sure to have more tasks for him to do when he got to the white house.

“I’ll be back when I can, I don’t know exactly what Schlatt has planned for me,” Tubbo said as he prepared to head back to Manberg. “I’ll try and bring some more food with me when I do.”

“Tubbo, before you go,” Wilbur put a hand on the teen’s shoulder, “I need to ask you to do something for us. You’re in a good position, Schlatt clearly trusts you enough to keep you on the cabinet. Right now you’re the only link between Pogtopia and L’Manberg. We need you to be our spy on the inside, Tubbo.”

The proposition wasn’t a surprise to Tubbo, he’d assumed Wilbur would want to utilize his position next to Schlatt. The teen nodded. “I can do that Wilbur.”

“You need to maintain the illusion that you’re looking for us, that’s the only way you can sneak out without Schlatt realizing there’s something at play. Keep us updated on what’s happening in L’Manberg, but make sure not to let anyone else know that you’re double crossing.”

“I understand. I’ll do my best.”

“And Tubbo,” Tommy interjected, “Whatever you do, be safe.”

He nodded again, a forced smile on his lips. The risk of being an inside man in Schlatt’s administration was daunting, but he realized how important this was. Tommy and Wilbur needed him.

“Everything will turn out for the best,” Tubbo stated with as much optimism as possible. Tommy went in for one last hug before his friend parted, giving him a final encouragement.

“Welcome to the team Tubbo.”

It seemed like things were finally starting to take a turn for the better. Wilbur and Tommy were alive, they were safe and hidden away in their underground bunker, and Niki had been able to give them supplies to keep them going. Yes, it hurt watching them walk away without her at their side, but she understood their position. She could do more good in the city, she would be with them soon enough. Yet what consumed her most were the parting words Wilbur had given the day prior. They had come as a shock; she knew Wilbur cared deeply for her, and she knew he loved her, but the connotation of the phrase had changed when he’d said the morning. She hadn’t said anything back. As much as she wished she could go back and do it all differently, she knew it wouldn’t do any good to dwell on it. Now wasn’t a time to grapple with her relationships. Their lives were at risk, her aid to the exiled men was the most pressing matter.

Tubbo had probably gone to see them by now as well, she’d slipped the note in his coat pocket yesterday, it would be surprising if he hadn’t made an attempt to find them first thing that morning. Niki hadn’t heard a word from Tubbo or the others, but that was okay. She would rather communication stay limited than risk exposing their location to Schlatt.

Niki had a newfound determination coursing through her as she went to work tidying up her home that evening. With everything going on she hadn’t had the strength or motivation to keep herself or her space in a good condition, but the small nugget of hope she’d received made all the difference. There was finally a light at the end of the tunnel; a small one to be sure, but a light nonetheless.

As she was drying off some freshly washed dishes, a soft knock sounded from her door. She hastily threw her towel onto the counter before jogging over to the threshold.

“Who is it?” She called out through the wood, no answer meeting her query. She furrowed her brow. “Hello?”

When she heard nothing again she slowly cracked the door open, tensing up as she saw the old friend standing on her doorstep.

"Hi.. I thought if you heard my voice you would ignore.” Niki didn’t realize she’d opened the door all the way, but she could now see Eret in his entirety. She wasn’t sure what to say.

“Eret – Why are you – You shouldn’t be here.” Niki started to close the door on him, but he caught it with his hands.

“Wait! I know I don’t deserve it.. but Schlatt’s opened L’Manberg’s borders, this is the first time I’ve been able to step foot in this nation for over a year. I need to talk with someone.. I need to talk to you.”

She stared up at his earnest eyes. It was strange, she didn’t feel scared or endangered. From what Wilbur had told her about Eret, she assumed he had willingly thrown away his old friendships. The stories passed on to her painted him as a monster, yet here he stood, looking just as broken and alone as she was.

Niki opened her door and motioned for him to come in.

He hesitantly entered her home, something once so comfortable now held an air of unfamiliarity. It felt wrong being back here, like he didn’t belong. In a way that was true.

“Thank you.” It was a simple response to her reluctant hospitality, but the only one he could think to say.

“Why are you here?” The question seemed sour in Niki’s mouth, coming out harsher than she’d intended. Though, maybe that was a good thing, he wouldn’t see her as weak and try to take advantage of her.

“I can’t just stand back and watch Schlatt destroy L’Manberg. I know you all hate me – I understand why – but that doesn’t mean I won’t do whatever I can to help Wilbur and Tommy.” Eret was still standing uncomfortably in the middle of Niki’s living room. Each slight shift rustled his coat, he could feel his sword brush up against his leg from its spot in the holster. “I’m not asking you to forgive me.. I’m not even asking you to trust me. I just wanted to tell you that you’ve got an ally in Essempee. If you ever need me, I’m there.”

She stared up at him, lip quivering slightly. A part of her was screaming to run, not to listen to what he was saying, that he was manipulating her. That was vastly outweighed by her own intuition; Eret wasn’t trying to exploit her or take advantage of the fact that their state was in ruins. She could hear it in his voice, see it in the way that his usual confidence had disappeared. He was on her side.

After an elongated silence in which Niki did nothing but take in the situation, he began backing up to the door. “I’ll go. I’m sorry for showing up unannounced. Just.. stay safe Niki.” 

He turned around, reaching out to open the door. In one swift moment, Niki dashed in front of him, wrapping her arms around his torso and holding him in a tight hug. The action caught him completely off guard, but through his shocked state he reciprocated.

“Please tell me what happened during the war. What really happened.”

Niki never believed Eret had turned on them out of selfishness. That seemed so out of character for him, especially considering his whole world had been built in L’Manberg. She knew there had to be something else going on, and she was right.

Eret explained everything. He told her about his negotiation with Dream, how the enemy had convinced him that betrayal was the only way to save his friends. He told her about the heartbreak of knowing he would be throwing everything away, that he told himself it would be worth it to sacrifice his own happiness for their lives. All he wanted was for the fighting to stop, and if that meant turning on them and forcing his own team into a position of surrender, he would do it. 

He explained his initial anger with Dream immediately following the war, but he also told her about the eventual friendships he found in Essempee. He told her about the security and community Dream had provided, nothing close to what he had in L’Manberg, but a kind gesture after he’d lost everything to the deal.

Niki listened intently to every word he said. She’d never gotten such a comprehensive retelling of the events she’d missed during the war. Even after it was long over Wilbur refused to give her details of what happened in that second battle, in the mines, or the explosion of their city. She had been left in the dark about the brutalities the men had faced until now. More so, she had been lost and confused when she came back home to find Eret on the enemies side. After so long she finally received the explanation she deserved. 

“Do the others know about the negotiation with Dream?” Niki asked once he’d finished. Eret shook his head grimly. “Why didn’t you tell them?”

“I never had the chance. Even if I did, they wouldn’t have listened, let alone believed me. I’m more of a villain than Dream in their eyes.” Eret stared past her blanky, and Niki nodded. That was true. She felt a bit sheepish for asking. Niki understood firsthand the hatred Wilbur and the others felt for Eret, they never would have given him the chance to explain. She almost hadn’t either. 

“I’m so sorry Eret.”

“You don’t have any reason to apologize. It’s not your fault.”

“But we were all so quick to assume you were betraying us out of selfishness.” She reached out to grab his hand tenderly. “I only listened to Wilbur’s side of the story. I should have made an attempt to understand what happened..”

“Why do you think I came to you?” Niki untensed her muscles, giving him a gentle smile.

“You were the only one I thought might give me a chance. Thank you for proving me right.”

She laughed, something so refreshing to do. With a relief filled sigh she leaned over and hugged him once again. It was all in a flash, one moment Eret was a memory, the next he was right back at her side. If there was any time she needed the encouragement and support, it was now.

"You have no idea how much I needed a friend.” Eret pulled away, nodding solemnly. 

“I don’t know everything that’s happened here in the last few weeks. All my information is second hand. If you’re not ready to talk about it I understand, but it would be nice to know what’s going on behind the scenes.”

Niki was more than willing to oblige, and she told him everything she knew. There was so much that had been bottled up in her mind, so many repressed memories of just days prior. Recounting them caused anxiety to well up, but Eret’s comforting presence kept her grounded. She was able to pass on all the intel she had, stopping before she got to the part where she met with Wilbur and Tommy. 

“I also.. I know where Wilbur and Tommy are. At least, I know the general area of where they are.” Despite her trust in Eret, she didn’t want to fully disclose the specifics of where they were hiding.

“I do too.” Niki was taken aback, giving him a confused look.

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“The night they were banished I followed them out in the woods. I know that sounds bad, but I wanted to make sure nothing hurt them. I left them baskets of food the past few mornings, but I don’t think they know I’m the one leaving them. They probably wouldn’t accept them if they did.”

“Does anyone else know where they are?” Niki looked at him expectantly. He lingered on the question, eyes darting between Niki and his lap quickly before settling on her again.

“Only the people on their side know where they are.” The answer was vague and Niki wanted to press further, but she left the response to linger. 

“As long as they’re safe. That’s all that matters.” Niki wrapped up the subject, shifting in her seat to check the time. It was dark outside now, they had to have been talking for a few hours. Niki realized she hadn’t eaten dinner.

“Are you hungry?” She moved into her kitchen looking for what she could throw together quickly for the two of them. Eret remained where he was.

“I don’t want to overstay my welcome,” He said.

“Eret, please, that’s not possible.” It was odd, this interaction would never have occurred a year ago. Now it was like they had to rebuild their closeness all over again. 

“Something small is fine then. Maybe some coffee before the journey home.” 

Niki nodded, moving about to slice some bread and bring out preserves to spread over top. She wasn’t all that hungry either, she hadn’t been eating much in the past week. As the water was boiling for the coffee she set out the food. Just the ability to be hospitable was uplifting, and the company was an added bonus. She considered asking if Eret wanted to stay with her for the evening rather than make the trek back into the Essempee. However, before she could offer, an aggressive pounding echoed from her door. At that point unannounced visits were so common that Niki should have been prepared, but having someone come so late in the evening was strange. Eret stood up and hovered his hand over his sword, Niki placed a touch on his arm as a silent signal to hold back. She motioned to her room, telling him to stay hidden from whoever was there.

“I’m not going to leave you on your own,” he protested. 

“You being here might raise suspicions,” she reasoned, another pounding. “You can stay in ear shot, just don’t come out unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

He was reluctant, but retreated into her bedroom as she went to address the visitor.

“Now’s not a good time. You can come back tomorrow afternoon,” she tried to be polite, but the voice from the other end was anything but.

“This issue is being resolved tonight Niki. Open the door.” She shrunk back at the sound of Schlatt’s voice, darting into the bedroom to Eret. He must have heard what happened, evident by the concern on his face. 

“I don’t know why he’s here! What does he know?” She spoke in hushed, terrified whispers. Eret pulled her deeper into the room, taking a step out in front.

“No – Eret!” She pulled him back, voice going low, “If Schlatt thinks I’m conspiring against him, he’ll assume the same about you. You can’t go out there, not unless I call for help. Promise me. We can’t lose the few people still on Wilbur’s side.” 

The sound of the door being forced opened made them both jump. Niki pushed past Eret, closing the door on the concerned face he gave. She was on her own. 

Schlatt and Quackity came into view, the fact that Fundy wasn’t with them only made matters worse. Despite his betrayal, she still wanted to believe he wouldn’t let anyone hurt her.

“Get out of my house,” She demanded, trying to maintain composure as the two stepped towards her. “I still have my rights under the laws of L’Manberg.”

“Manberg, Niki,” Schlatt corrected. “And your rights disappeared the moment you broke your oath to this nation.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The final condition of citizenship, _‘The taking of an oath of loyalty to the state of Manberg’._ Well, I have it on good authority that you’ve been anything but loyal.”

“Speaking against you isn’t an act of disloyalty to my nation, it’s an act of disloyalty against _you_. I’m well within my rights to voice my opinions.” She retorted. 

Schlatt grinned and shook his head. “You’re a spitfire Niki, I like that. However, I don’t like it when my citizens blatantly oppose me and run off to help the dictators that I banished.”

“I haven’t done anything of the sort.”

“Alex, care to explain to our dear little Niki what you saw yesterday morning?” Schlatt glanced to his friend, who nodded vehemently.

“It was very early in the morning, several citizens were out working, doing their part to take down the wall. Out of the corner of my eye I saw you walking away from the city with a bunch of supplies in your arms. So I thought to myself, why else would she be bringing things out into an empty forest if not to deliver them to a certain pair of exiled tyrants?”

Niki’s heart began racing as Quackity spoke. Had she been followed? Did she reveal Wilbur and Tommy’s location?”

“I - I don’t - ”

“Where did you go Niki?” Schlatt’s tone was becoming more aggressive. She shook her head, not giving a reply. Schlatt moved in closer, towering over the girl. “You know where they are, don’t you?”

The question suggested they didn’t see where she went. She had to play dumb, she had to let her fear show through, make herself seem helpless. 

“Okay.. I brought coats and food out into the wilderness, I left them at the edge of the forest, hoping that maybe they’d find them. I don’t know where they are, I don’t even know if they’re alive. I won’t do it again, I’m sorry Schlatt.” She let her eyes line with tears, hoping the display would be enough to convince him. It wasn’t.

“See, I just don’t believe you. You’re a smart girl, one who’s not afraid of telling the world how much you hate me. I can’t have someone like that walking around my nation, helping my enemies.” He motioned for Quackity to move behind her, trapping her between them. She thought about calling out to Eret, afraid of what Schlatt’s words were implying, but waited.

“I’m a fair president. I could revoke your citizenship and banish you just like I did the others, but I don’t think those measures need to be taken. Besides, that would most likely put you with Wilbur and Tommy, and I don’t need those two getting any help.” He looked into her eyes, a piercing stare. “But like I said, I can’t let a rebel like you go unpunished.”

She felt rough hands pull her arms behind her back, cold metal quickly clamping down around her wrists. Panic coursed in her veins.

“NO!” She struggled to wriggle free of the restraints, but Quackity held her arms tight. “No, no!” 

Quietly and calmly Schlatt reached to his hip, pulling his sword out and holding it at his side. Niki froze, not just because of the threatening gesture. That was the first time she’d ever seen Schlatt draw a weapon on anyone, and it was against her. 

“I want to make something perfectly clear Niki. I won’t let anyone stop me from getting what I want, especially not some weak, pathetic girl. You can yell all you want, you can tell me I’ll pay, that you’ll stop me, whatever. That means nothing to me. Wilbur’s gone. I’m the one in charge now.”

She held a steely expression, no longer attempting to free herself from Quackity’s hold. There was no going back now. As much as she wanted to keep fighting back and screaming at him, what he said was true. Nothing she could do would make a difference, not now at least.

“You ever been in one of those jail cells in the basement of the courthouse? I think you’ll like it down there. It’ll give you plenty of time to reflect.”

Before she could let out another yell of protest she was pushed forward from behind. Her mind was racing, realizing there was nothing she could do. Even if she’d called for Eret to help, he wouldn’t be able to fend off two people at once. So she kept her mouth shut as she was forced out of her home. This wasn’t the end though; Eret knew what had happened to her, she knew she had an ally in him and Tubbo. Wilbur and Tommy were safe, as far as she knew. In the end it didn’t matter what happened to her as long the people she loved were still okay.

Eret waited in quiet horror until he knew for sure the three of them were gone. He was shaking, feeling guilt and anger as he was forced to listen to the two berate and abuse her.

The home was still, the only sound coming from the overboiling kettle that had been abandoned on the stove. First Wilbur and Tommy, now Niki. Schlatt was taking down each of his friends one by one, it was only a matter of time before he caught on to Tubbo’s double crossing. He had to act fast before someone else got hurt.

It was a good thing that Niki had refused to let him get involved. As far as Schlatt knew, Eret was on Essempee’s side, either neutral or in support of his reign. He had to use his position to help his friends, to free Niki. There were few people left who were willing to risk their lives for the cause against Schlatt. Eret knew it was time to step out from the shadows and join the fight once again.

Tommy couldn’t sleep that night.

It had only been a day since Tubbo had visited Pogtopia, and he hadn’t heard from or seen him since. It wasn’t worrying, Tommy knew Tubbo wouldn’t be able to see them every day, but he still longed to be in the company of his best friend. He appreciated having Wilbur, but the older man had fallen deeper and deeper into an intense, brooding state as each day in the ravine passed. Techno wasn’t much one to talk either, they’d only had a few conversations that were more than thirty seconds long. Tommy may have had company in Pogtopia, but he still felt alone.

Wilbur and Techno had fallen asleep hours ago. Tommy watched Wilbur shift in his slumber against the hard rock, pulling the blanket tighter around himself with each drowsy twitch. After awhile of nothingness Tommy decided he wasn’t going to be falling asleep anytime soon, and instead decided to make his way out to get some fresh air.

Time moved by strangely when they were in the ravine. The lack of sunlight had thrown off their biological clocks. Tommy was expecting to see a pitch black sky when he emerged, so he was shocked to find the sun had barely finished setting. It wasn’t as late as he thought. He figured that was fine, he could use the last few minutes of fading light to watch the movement of the forest.

As he sat outside the cave the feeling of loneliness swept over him again. He kept thinking back to Tubbo, about how much he missed him. A part of him felt stupid for it, but he realized that he hadn’t been apart from Tubbo in over eight years. The longest they’d ever gone without seeing each other was 48 hours – up until now. Living in the small confines of L’Manberg meant that they were always together, for better or worse. They’d spent each day together after school, weekends were filled with adventures, and they only became closer when they’d moved in together. Tommy had truly been apart from Tubbo for the first time in years.

Tommy could feel tears pooling in the corners of his eyes, and he made no attempt to wipe them away until he heard a branch cracking from somewhere besides him. He quickly regained composure, trying to see what was approaching through the darkened trees.

“Don’t grab your weapon. I’m here to talk.”

Tommy’s blood ran cold, and despite the command he still pulled his knife out against the approaching figure.

“How did you find me? What the hell do you want?”

Dream stepped out from the darkness, only slightly distinguishable in the dying light. There was no mistaking his enemy though.

“Tommy.” The words were heavy, and the use of his name mixed with the irritated look on Dream’s face was enough to convince the boy to lower the knife to his side.

“How did you know where I was?” He repeated.

“Put the knife away first.” Dream gestured to his armor clad figure. “I’m not armed. I’m not here to attack you.”

Against his better judgement Tommy reluctantly stowed the knife away. Dream remained where he was, not wanting to take a step forward and scare the teen.

“So?” Tommy prompted. Dream stared forward with a sigh.

“Someone told me where to find you. They’re an ally, they just don’t want to be named,” Dream replied coolly. Tommy wondered who that could be – he doubted it was Wilbur or Tubbo, and he wasn’t even sure if Techno knew Dream.

“I’m not here to catch up, Tommy. I want to make an offer.”

Tommy stepped back instinctually, his heart racing at the words. “Why would I trust you?”

“Because I want to help,” Dream stated forcefully. He pulled off the pack he was wearing, throwing the large bag to the ground in front of Tommy. “I have supplies. Weapons, armor, food. Things you need to fight against Schlatt.”

The teen didn’t dare to go towards the bag, knowing it had to be a trap of some sort. Dream waited impatiently, before bending down and opening the pack for himself. He pulled something out of the bag, tossing it to Tommy. The boy reflexively flinched away, but reached out to catch it as he realized what it was. A crossbow. He ran his hand over it, feeling the worn down wood under his fingers. At the base of it, he could see a small carving with the letters _‘to C - from G, N’_.

“No tricks. I’m here to help, like I said.”

“But.. why?” Tommy stuttered as he clutched the weapon of his enemy. Dream stood again, moving in closer to the teen.

“When Wilbur was in charge of L’Manberg he ran it with kindness, not might. Even though I acted like a tyrant, he tried to settle things with words. Violence was always a last resort. You were just a group of people who wanted to make a nation of peace and contentment. Schlatt doesn’t follow those same principles.” Dream paused, waiting for some kind of comment from Tommy. The boy was silent, so he carried on. “Look, Schlatt wants power. He wants to expand into Essempee, why do you think he tore down the walls? He’s not there to uphold L’Manberg’s beliefs, he’s there because he saw the opportunity to grab power, and he took it. I don’t think peace can be maintained between our two nations for long with Schlatt at the helm.”

“Why don’t you do something about it then? Why didn’t you stop him earlier?” Tommy questioned.

“Schlatt is technically a democratically elected leader. I can’t overthrow him,” He replied candidly. “I recognized L’Manberg as an independent nation, I had no power over what you or Wilbur or anyone did.”

Tommy was beginning to understand now. “So.. you’re not going to be the one to step in?”

“Last time I tried to take a stand on behalf of Essempee, I was touted as the villain. This time, I can’t involve myself. I’m certain that Schlatt plans to take over Essempee, but until he openly declares that, there’s nothing I can do to intervene. I can’t be caught breaking the peace treaty, even though those who made it are no longer involved. However, I won’t just stand by and watch everything fall to pieces. I’m going to help you and Wilbur take down Schlatt, but I have to do it from the shadows.”

Everything Dream was saying made sense, yet Tommy still refused to listen to his enemy. After years of torment, after the war, after almost being killed by him, how could Tommy possibly agree to the offer.

“I won’t take these. I can’t, not after everything you’ve done to us. How do you expect me to believe you’re actually on our side?”

Dream let out a long sigh, nodding his head. He reached into the inner pocket of his coat, pulling out a roll of paper tied with green ribbon. “Do you remember the night I granted you independence Tommy? Do you remember the third condition we made?”

Adrenaline rushed over Tommy at the sight of the document. He did remembered the condition, it was something he couldn’t seem to shake from his mind, something that had followed him every day since.

“A favor, from me to you,” Tommy replied quietly. Dream nodded, extending the paper to the teen.

“I’m using it right now. Tommy, I need you to trust me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of build up happens in this chapter. I'm trying to get the story lines set up properly so I can start getting into the good bits, but there are so many characters to establish motives and development for. Thank you all for sticking with me. Break just started for my university, so all I have now is student teaching, meaning my schedule should free up a bit. Later chapters probably won't be this long, I'll try and keep updates flowing over the holidays!


	10. A Spy on the Inside

Tommy felt numb as he carried in the pack of supplies Dream had left him with. He couldn’t seem to comprehend what had just happened. Dream had, for a lack of better terms, _forced_ Tommy to allow him to help. How had he gone from mortal enemy to supportive ally in a matter of minutes?

The whole situation made Tommy’s skin crawl the more he thought about it. He didn’t want to trust Dream, and at the moment he still didn’t. This had to be some kind of play, maybe he was teaming with Schlatt and this was a way to infiltrate their hideout. But then why had he’d given them all kinds of gear. Not to mention that Dream had used one of the most valuable things he had, the favor Tommy had traded away. To give it away just so Tommy would have to trust him seemed like a waste in comparison to what other actions he could force the teen to do. None of it made sense.

In his befuddled state Tommy forgot about his sleeping companions and dropped the bag carelessly to the ground. The thud of the contents against the stone caused both of them to jolt out of their sleep, each one simultaneously reaching for their weapon.

“Tommy? What the hell.” Wilbur rubbed the sleep from his face once he realized there was no danger. Techno gave an annoyed sigh and rolled back over to try and get back to bed.

Tommy didn’t say anything in reply to his mentor, Wilbur sat up fully and caught a look at the bag. “What is that?”

“I – it’s – Dream, he just – ” Tommy couldn’t find the right words, Wilbur rose to inspect the contents of the sack. He pulled out pieces of chest armor: chainmail and iron plating. There were bows and arrows, and of course, Dream’s infamous crossbow.

“Where did you get this?” Wilbur breathed out in astonishment.

“I didn’t.. Dream gave them to me.”

Wilbur gave Tommy a strange look, as though the boy had lost his mind. “I’m sorry, _Dream_ gave them to you?”

“I went outside to get some fresh air and he was waiting for me. He told me he wanted to help, but he had to do it from the shadows since he couldn’t break the peace treaty with L’Manberg. He said he didn’t trust Schlatt and wanted him gone just as much as we did.” Tommy spewed out in an unceremonious blurb. Wilbur never dropped his look of bewilderment.

“You’re fucking with me.”

“I’m not!”

“How – why would Dream ever want to help us?”

“I don’t know! He told me he doesn’t like Schlatt, and he wants to help us defeat him. Look, I don’t trust him either but I’m telling the truth. Look at the handle on the crossbow.” Tommy’s frantic statement had finally caused Techno to abandon sleep and move closer to the unfolding event. Wilbur examined the weapon, now seeing the message inscribed in the wood. It really was Dream’s. Anger started to boil up inside of him as he realized he was holding the crossbow of the man who’d oppressed and tormented them for years.

“Why the hell did you take these? Why did you agree to this!” Wilbur burst out.

“I didn’t have a choice!”

“What do you mean you didn’t have a choice?”

“He – ” Tommy stopped as he realized Wilbur didn’t know what truly happened that fateful evening. He recoiled a bit, glancing between a furious Wilbur and an intrigued Technoblade. “Wilbur, I need to tell you something.”

The older man’s aggression seemed to quell, but he was still clutching the crossbow with whitening knuckles. Tommy let out a shaky breath before launching into his admission.

“The night I convinced Dream to give us our independence.. I offered my life in return. I told him I would let him kill me if he granted L’Manberg freedom. He turned me down.” Wilbur sucked in a breath. He’d always assumed that was the bargain Tommy had made, but it was never confirmed until now. He nodded, letting the teen continue. “I thought it was over, I thought there was nothing left we could do, but Dream agreed to surrender. I didn’t – and still don’t – know why he gave in. He told me he’d let us be independent, but he had one last condition. In order for us to get L’Manberg, I had to sign an agreement stating that I owed Dream one favor, no questions asked.”

Wilbur had let go of his previous anger as Tommy disclosed the unspoken events of that evening. All this time Dream had Tommy under his control, holding a single favor over his head since they’d been freed.

“That’s how you got L’Manberg.” Wilbur whispered. Tommy nodded, raising his eyes to meet Wilbur’s.

“He used that favor tonight. He used it to ask me to trust him.”

Each person in that ravine fell silent at that statement. Even Techno was standing motionless in surprise. Tommy started to think about that night, how he’d seen a side of Dream he never had before; a quieter, more human side, a side that showed him compassion. He wondered if that was the same part of Dream that had approached him that evening.

Wilbur wrestled with the information for a while, trying to understand Dream’s motives. There was no way he was doing it out of the goodness of his heart, it had to be for personal gain. He wouldn’t just give up something as powerful as an unfettered favor from Tommy. He set the crossbow back in the bag, taking a final look over the supplies.

“We’ll keep the armor and weapons. We can’t afford to turn them down, no matter where they came from. This doesn’t mean that we can trust Dream though, I don’t care what he said or did to try and convince us he’s on our side. The only people we know for certain are here to fight for us are the ones standing in this cave right now. As far as I’m concerned, we can only trust each other.”

Five days. Niki had been in the jail cell for five days. The only way she kept track was by counting the meals that were delivered to her, one each night as far as she knew. Of course, she could be wrong. There was no way of knowing of sure, seeing as there was no sunlight entering her prison. Each hour seemed to blur together as she was stuck with nothing but her thoughts. Schlatt was right. She had plenty of time to reflect, and that was driving her crazy.

Niki couldn’t help but run through the past few days over and over in her head. Each detail was imprinted in her mind by now. She over analyzed conversations, thought about what she would have said or done differently. It was agony, but she couldn’t bring herself to stop.

She wondered if Tubbo or Fundy knew she had been arrested. She hadn’t seen either of them come down to the courthouse jail. More so, she wondered if Tubbo had told Wilbur. A part of her wanted him to help break her out and bring her to their secret location. Then again, she didn’t want him to risk his life to free her from Schlatt. Maybe it was better that he didn’t know at all, so he wouldn’t worry. But then again, if he didn’t know, then who else would help her get out? What could Eret do, he had no standing with Schlatt or Manberg. Could Wilbur do anything? Could anyone?

Her mind had carried on like that endlessly, cycling through ideas without being able to settle on an outcome she wanted. The only solace from her uncertainty was sleep, but that was riddled with nightmares far worse than what her conscious mind could come up with.

The sound of footsteps above her kicked her brain into full alert. She mentally checked off day six of confinement, though she felt like the arrival of her meal was far too early. Niki waited anxiously to see who it would be this time. It was usually just a random guard Schlatt had hired, though once it had been Quackity. No one ever said much to her, they simply dropped off the new tray, grabbed the old one, and left.

Niki stowed herself away in the far corner, pulling her knees to her chest and staying as small as possible. She heard the shoes shuffle along the cold stone floor, stopping in front of the iron bars. When there was no sound of food being slid under the designated hatch, she peeked up to see who’d come to visit her.

Schlatt.

She said nothing, only gave him a defiant glare as he rested casually against the bars of her cell. He mirrored, as though waiting for her to start the conversation. She wouldn’t give in, and eventually he spoke up.

“How have you been? It must be incredibly boring having nothing to do for so long.” No response. “Have your thoughts been getting to you? I know what it’s like being trapped with nothing but your own mind for hours on end. It’s truly soul crushing. People aren’t meant to be stuck in their head for that long.”

“Do you want something, or are you just here to torment me?” She finally asked, voice hoarse from not using it in so many days. He smirked, shifting his weight and standing upright.

“I’m here to make you an offer. I’ll cut your sentence down in exchange for information, simple as that,” he told her.

“I don’t know anything,” she spat back.

Schlatt let out a sound of disappointment, pacing back and forth in front of the cell.

“You don’t know _anything_ , hm?” He hummed. “Wilbur didn’t even tried to make contact? After two weeks? I doubt that Niki.”

“How do you know they’re even still alive?”

“Call it intuition. Or surmounting evidence that people are trying to undermine me and aid the traitors.” Niki swallowed her fear, hoping he hadn’t been referencing Tubbo in that statement. “I get that you’re a ‘sweet girl’ and all, but you’re not naïve. You wouldn’t leave resources out unless you knew someone would be there to get them.”

“You don’t think I’d hold onto hope that they’d come across them?” she asked.

“I don’t think that you’re actually in the dark. I think Wilbur would come to you first.” Schlatt didn’t elaborate on that, suddenly moving to unlock the cell door. The sound of the metal swinging open caused Niki to move even further into the corner, if that was possible. Schlatt calmly stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. He faced her, now mere feet away and towering over her small frame.

“Tell me where they are Niki. As soon as you give the word you can walk out of this cell, be a free woman. I’ll revoke the tax increase too, if that’s what’ll get you talking.”

“Get out Schlatt.”

“Is he really worth this? Spending years and years in solitary confinement, never getting to see any of your friends? Wilbur and Tommy are going to lose, sweetheart. Surely you know that. I understand you want to hold onto this hope that one day you’ll overthrow me, but get a reality check. They’re outnumbered, out matched, out played. We can drag this on for as long as you want, but it’ll end the same no matter what. Don’t let yourself suffer for an inevitable defeat.”

Niki knew Schlatt was trying to break her, and she wouldn’t let that happen. No amount of bribery would get her to betray her friends, nothing he could say would sway her loyalty.

“I said, _get out_.”

Schlatt chuckled, steeping closer to her and bending down so he was resting on his haunches. “I underestimated you, I have to admit. I didn’t think you’d last this long.”

She looked to the side, not making eye contact with him. From the corner of her vision she could see his demeanor shift. His head tilted to the side ever so slightly.

“You and Wilbur, there’s something going on between you two, isn’t there?” She bit the inside of her lip, trying not to show any emotion as he prodded for information. He laughed, seemingly sensing an unconscious reaction to the question. “I saw the way you two acted around each other. I’m surprised no one else has picked up on it. It’s the subtleties that give it away.”

Niki was sure he could see the anxiety etched into her face, though she couldn’t do anything to stop it now.

“Is that why you’re doing this? For him?” he scoffed, standing again. The absence of his closeness was relieving. “You know, having you locked up here might not be all that bad after all. If Wilbur gets news that his dear little Niki has been imprisoned – well – ”

He was at the door now, swinging it back open and exiting the space. He gave her one last malicious smile before locking the cell once again. “Goodnight Niki. Enjoy your time in solitude. I’m sure you have plenty more to think about.”

It was yet another night in Pogtopia, the same as each one before. The same stone walls and dim lights, the same hushed tones sending echoes throughout the cavern, the same tension filled atmosphere flooding their senses.

Techno sat alone on his perch, a perfect section of rock jutting out from a ways up the ravine wall. It was high enough to give him his own space, and you could only get up there if you knew the precise path to climb. Neither Wilbur or Tubbo had bothered to figure out how to get to the secluded spot, though Techno had once caught Tommy trying unsuccessfully to scale the sheer cliff.

From below he could hear the faint reminiscing’s of Wilbur and Tommy as they sat around the low-burning fire. Techno could barely make out the words they were saying, though he pieced together that they were talking about L’Manberg. At least, the old L’Manberg.

 _Go join them._ Techno waved away the thought as it sounded out, telling himself that he had no reason to jump into their conversation, especially one that he had nothing to contribute to. He hadn’t been there with them, he didn’t really care about L’Manberg.

 _It doesn’t matter. Speak with them, it’s been a whole day._ He shifted to find a more comfortable position, ignoring the intrusive thoughts. If it weren’t night he would be out doing something useful. He could be gathering water or hunting for food. But when the sun set there wasn’t much to do other than wait around and listen to his two allies as they went about their evening together.

Techno didn’t need to make friends, and he didn’t want to. He was there for one reason: to take down Schlatt. He didn’t care about saving L’Manberg like Tommy and Wilbur, he didn’t care about Essempee like Dream, he just wanted to put an end to the power grabbing. In a perfect world, he would do away with any forms of power in the first place. He had to take things one step at a time though.

_You can’t sit there forever._

“Watch me.” The words were so faint he could barely hear himself say them. Nothing was stopping him from waiting around until he could finish his mission. He was under no obligation to do anything other than help the two kill Schlatt. After that he could leave and put it all behind him. With Schlatt gone he could finally be freed from the threat the man had posed for so long. Letting someone like him go unchecked for years was a mistake, one he was going to end here and now. He knew he couldn’t do it on his own, but just because he needed a teammate didn’t mean he needed a friend.

Techno had made that mistake before, and he wouldn’t do it again. Trusting someone was reckless, and caring for someone was an outright death wish. Relationships didn’t get you anywhere, they only hindered you. People get in the way. They betray you, they let you down. Techno could see the torment Wilbur and Tommy were facing, but he didn’t pity them. Their downfall had been caused by the people they thought they could trust, and that was on them.

No, Technoblade didn’t want to make friends here. He didn’t want to talk with them, he didn’t need to form any connections. After Schlatt was gone and the system in L’Manberg was destroyed he could move on.

He waited until the voices below faded away to finally get down from his spot. His movements made no sound as he reached the bottom and surveyed the cave. To his surprise he saw Wilbur still awake, flipping through the pages of the book Niki had brought them. He recalled that they hadn’t gotten another supply drop from her after the first one was left for them. On top of that, it had been a week since they’d seen Tubbo, the longest absence from him. Usually there was only a day or two between visits. He wondered for a moment if Wilbur or Tommy were worried about the absence of communication.

Without thinking he took a step in the direction of Wilbur, but had to stop himself. He had no reason to join him. Bringing up the fact that their other allies had been out of contact wouldn’t help anything anyway,

 _Talk to Wilbur. You need to reconcile. Get him back on your side._ Technoblade huffed out and deliberately swiveled away from the other two men. The movement caught Wilbur’s attention, and he looked up upon realizing Techno was there.

“Oh. Goodnight Techno,” Wil called out in a low voice. It made him slow, head turning back. He tried to keep walking, but thought better than to give a cold shoulder.

“Night Wilbur.” He had to at least be amicable. The two of them were stuck together, fates be damned, and they needed to stand on mutual ground if this was going to work. They could put aside their past long enough to get what they wanted. After it was all said and done they would never see each other again anyways. Soon everything would be a distant memory, and they could all go back to the way things should be: far apart from each other.

Tubbo sat at his desk completely unable to focus on his assigned task. He was meant to be transcribing notes from the cabinet's last meeting, but his mind was preoccupied. Maybe it was the fact that everything was changing so quickly that was making him think back to days before Schlatt arrived. It didn’t help that he was sitting in the Whitehouse, staring at the remnants of Wilbur’s administration. 

The Whitehouse had gained its name from the white concrete they’d used when constructing the building a year ago. It had been Wilbur’s home and office when he was still in power, but Schlatt had seized it as his own once the ex-president had been banished. Now the main room not only housed desks for the president and vice president, but for the rest of the cabinet as well. That was where they spent most of their time when they weren’t completing tasks in the city. It felt wrong being there, seeing Schlatt where Wilbur once sat, but the sight had become increasingly familiar. 

Schlatt’s office was in a separate room, the one that used to be a bedroom. That’s where the president was now, doing his own duties, so Tubbo thought he was alone. Through his reverie he hadn’t noticed his boss wander into the room.

“Tubbo.” The acknowledgement made the teen jump, flashing a fake smile. “What’s going on?” 

“I was just, uh, taking down notes.” He held up the hardly completed work with another nervous smile. 

“Is that everything?” 

“Yes sir.” Schlatt held a knowing glance at the boy. Tubbo realized he wouldn’t be able to shake the look the president gave. “Um, why do you ask?”

“I was just checking in on you. You are my right hand man, I want to see how you’re doing,” He explained. 

“Oh. I was just.. Reminiscing.”

“Reminiscing?” Schlatt cocked an eyebrow and Tubbo immediately wished he’d lied. He was sure Schlatt would be upset that he was thinking about the past, but the president soon proved that wrong. 

“That’s fine,” Schlatt said after a short pause. “There’s a time and place though, you are on the clock.”

“Of course Mr. President, it won’t happen again.” Tubbo gave a curt nod, but that wasn’t the end of the conversation like he was hoping.

“Why don’t you come join me in my office Tubbo.” Dread washed over the boy, and as he followed him into the room he assumed the worst. He sat opposite of him, entire body tense.

“You know, I’ve been pleased with the work you’ve done for this country. You’ve really proven yourself to be a valuable asset.” 

Relief washed over Tubbo. “Thank you sir.”

“I’m sure this can’t be easy for you. I mean, most of your friends have abandoned you. That’s a lot of change to endure in such a short time. But you’ve proven you care about your duties, and you’re willing to put the work in. I don’t say this often, but I’m proud of what you’ve done.”

Tubbo felt a warmth at the words of praise. Schlatt sounded genuine. It felt wrong to appreciate the positive affirmations, but he couldn’t help but feel good about the recognition. “That means a lot Schlatt. Thank you.” 

“I mean it Tubbo. I feel like you’re going to do great things for Manberg.” 

“I hope I can as well.” 

A brief pause, Schlatt leaned back and crossed his legs. “What’s on your mind. You told me you were reminiscing, what about?”

It felt like a trap, and Tubbo didn’t want to answer, but he felt it would be worse to dismiss the question. “I think I’m just a bit sad to see the walls go. They’ve been here for so long, since the beginning actually. Of course, I know we’re taking them down for the better, but.. Perhaps we could leave a section up? Maybe keep some of the original piece intact?”

Schlatt gave no response. Tubbo tried to justify his statement. “It’s important to preserve history isn’t it?” 

“Perhaps.” The president replied monotonously. “Although there is some history that’s best left forgotten.” 

Tubbo knew he was supposed to blindly agree with Schlatt, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it this time. He avoided him, looking out the window instead. 

“The sooner you forget about the way things used to be the better you’ll be for Manberg.” Schlatt’s intense voice drew the teen’s gaze back over. “Your old friends, they’re a memory now, okay? I’m not going to sugar coat things for you. The people here supporting me, supporting _us_ , those people are your friends.”

Tubbo nodded habitually, his mind suddenly recalling the lack of contact he’d been making with his allies. Not only had he not been to Pogtopia in a while, but the more worrying matter was that he hadn’t seen or heard from Niki in a few weeks. 

He didn’t want to assume the worst, but with the way she had been acting, he was starting to suspect that it had something to do with Schlatt. Tubbo had been hesitant to ask about her whereabouts on the off chance that she’d been out with Wilbur and Tommy, or if she had been doing something secretive for the cause. The last thing he wanted was to draw attention to her absence, but it had been long enough that he needed to start asking. He’d already pushed it with Schlatt anyway, now was as good a time as any to get the answers he needed. 

“Mr. President.. Have you seen Niki recently? She hasn’t been at her bakery or her house the past few days I’ve gone to check up on her.” Schlatt gave the hesitant teen a crooked smile from across the desk. 

“She was arrested. We caught her sneaking out to aid the traitors, so we took action to stop it.” Tubbo swallowed and masked the dismay that rose in him. How long ago had that happened? He suddenly felt guilty for not trying to seek her out sooner.

“I see.” It was all Tubbo could think to say as he fidgeted in his seat. Schlatt noticed his discomfort, and while he could have let it go he wanted to prod Tubbo for further reaction.

“She must know where they’re hiding out, but she isn’t talking. I’ve tried to get it out of her, but she’s stubborn,” he noted as he absentmindedly flipped through the papers on his desk. He watched his apprentice’s reaction from the corner of his vision. 

“What if I spoke with her? Maybe she’d feel more comfortable with someone she knows,” Tubbo offered. Schlatt put the papers down with a soft, displeased sigh.

“As much as I admire the initiative, I think that would create a conflict of interests. I know she was your friend, and you’re probably worried for her, but she’s chosen her side.” Schlatt leaned over the lacquered wood to get closer to Tubbo, studying him intently. “I don’t want you to associate with her anymore. Niki is a traitor, just like Wilbur and Tommy. Traitors get punished. We all made our choices. She decided her fate, you decide yours.”

Tubbo nodded along, though it hurt to convince himself to obey. Niki was probably scared and lonely, not to mention she was likely in danger. There was no telling what Schlatt would do. “Yes sir, Mr. President. I only thought - maybe I could help mediate the situation.”

Apparently that wasn’t what Schlatt wanted to hear, evident by the way he took another drawn out sigh. He rose from his desk, moving to look out the window at the city beyond the Whitehouse. 

“Have you ever been to the beach Tubbo?” The question caught the boy off guard.

“Um - No, no I haven’t.” It was true, he’d never had the chance to venture that far out before or after the outbreak all those years ago.

“Well, there are these things called conch shells. They’re big and hollow, and when you hold it up to your ear it’s like you can hear the sound of the ocean,” Schlatt continued. 

“Oh. That sounds neat.”

“They are, they are Tubbo.” The president turned to Tubbo now, gaze burning into him. “See, the thing is, you would never know what it sounds like on the inside by just looking at it. You don’t know until you put your ear to it and really listen.”

Tubbo nodded in rising nervousness, understanding where Schlatt was leading the conversation. The president paused as though he was thinking before finalizing his thoughts.

“I’ve put my trust in you, and I’m expecting you to reciprocate. I believe you’ll make the right choices, but sometimes, when I put my ear up to you, I start to hear things that concern me.” Tubbo stood unmoving, afraid of letting off the subtle indications of unloyalty that Schlatt was referring to. “The next time I listen, I want to hear nothing but songs of praise. So far I don’t feel like I have any reason to doubt you, but if I ever hear the sounds of defiance, then we’re going to have another conversation. Do you understand?”

“Yes sir, I understand.” Tubbo nodded vehemently. Schlatt gave him a rare, warm smile, dropping any indication of the intensity their conversation had held before. 

“I knew you would. You’re a good kid Tubbo. One day I’ll take you to the beach, you can see those shells for yourself.” He gave his Secretary of State a soft pat on the back as he moved back into his chair. Tubbo smiled, a part of him truly excited at the idea of seeing the ocean for the first time.

“Why don’t you head home, get some rest. We’ve got plenty more to do tomorrow and I’ll need your help,” Schlatt suggested. Tubbo nodded him, thanking him as he gathered his coat from his own desk and made his way back out. Being out of the Whitehouse lifted the pressure that had built during their interaction, but he wasn’t out of the woods yet. Now that he knew about Niki being arrested he had to tell Wilbur. The only problem was that in order to get to the mines he would have to go past the Whitehouse, in the opposite direction of his own home. It was too dangerous to take the usual route to Pogtopia, Schlatt was undoubtedly watching Tubbo closely. He wouldn’t let that stop him though. It had been a week since he’d been able to get out to them, and now it was more important than ever. He would just have to go the long way around. 

Wilbur was outside the entrance when Tubbo approached. He was surprised to see him come out from the woods, but Tubbo quickly explained the watchful eye Schlatt was keeping over him. Wilbur could tell that the teen was anxious about something. As much as the spy wanted to blurt out the information something inside him was hesitant. There was no doubt that Wilbur would be distraught over Niki’s arrest. He couldn’t bring himself to say it just yet.

“I’m sorry it’s been so long since I checked in. There’s just been a lot happening at the moment,” Tubbo said.

“It’s okay. Your safety is more important. Come inside, it’s getting dark.”

The two descended into Pogtopia, Tommy greeting Tubbo with an overdue hug upon seeing him. The joy of the reunion was short-lived, as Tubbo was soon prompted to tell them what had happened since he was gone. Wilbur listened intently to each word.

“It seems like every day Schlatt is giving out a new order or writing out new laws. Things are changing so quickly I can barely keep up.” The statement hurt to hear, and not just because of the fact that Schlatt was changing L’Manberg so drastically. From the way Tubbo went on to describe the administration, it sounded like they were working harder than Wilbur’s ever had. Sure, it was probably because Schlatt had so much he wanted to dismantle, but it still made Wil feel ineffective in comparison.

“So what are all these changes doing? Is it better with Schlatt in charge.” The question sounded poisonous coming from Wilbur’s mouth, a deep-seated insecurity surfacing.

“No. You guys haven’t seen Manberg lately, have you? It’s really gone in the opposite direction.” That simple answer made Wilbur perk up. “The walls are mostly gone but all the material is still scattered everywhere. Schlatt’s started a bunch of construction projects, but they aren’t running smoothly right now. Not to mention that half the people are still afraid to go to work and keep the community running. It’s definitely gone downhill since you guys have been gone.”

Tommy nodded along to the flow of new information. It did hurt to hear the state of L’Manberg, but it gave him hope that the people would support them coming back to take their position of governing. 

“What about Niki? We haven’t heard anything from her in a while.” There it was. Tubbo gave an uneasy look to Wilbur, immediately setting off alarm bells in the ex-president. “What happened to her Tubbo?”

“She was arrested.. I didn’t know until tonight. I’m so sorry, I should have tried to find out sooner but I didn’t know if she was doing something secret. I didn’t want Schlatt to find out but.. He already knew. He must have seen her sneaking out.”

Wilbur stopped listening as soon as Tubbo had said the word arrested. His mind was spinning - anger, fear, sadness, guilt, despair - it all mingled together in a violent emotion that burned in his heart. 

“How long?” The question was quiet, Wilbur stared at the ground over Tubbo’s shoulder.

“I don’t know for sure. A few weeks is what it seemed.”

Wilbur ran his fingers through his hair, turning away from the two and slamming his fist against the ravine wall. Pain rippled through his hand, but he didn’t seem to notice. 

“Wil.” Tommy reached out a hand to comfort him. He batted him away, stepping back.

“No.” He took a shuddering breath. “I’m fine. Is she okay?”

“I think so. I haven’t been able to see her, but it sounds like nothing else has happened to her,” Tubbo tried to assure. Wilbur nodded, still overwhelmed.

“I shouldn’t have asked her to risk herself for us. This is my fault,” he muttered. “I should have brought her with us when we had the chance.”

“We couldn’t have known. Anyone else would have done the same,” Tommy stated. The teens' attempts didn’t calm his guilt-ridden conscience. He logically knew that this was only one hurdle, that they would overcome this eventually, but the thought of her being alone and terrified overrode any sort of rationality. His mental state was such a delicate balance at the moment, and this had just sent everything crashing down.

“You shouldn’t be here Tubbo, not right now. If Schlatt found out about Niki then he could find out about you too. You’re our last connection to L’Manberg,” Wilbur warned. Tubbo nodded. He didn’t want to leave, he’d only just gotten there, but the paranoia in his leaders' eyes told him not to push it. 

“I’ll do what I can to make sure she’s okay,” he promised. Wilbur gave a sad nod. 

And so as soon as he’d arrived he left. He wanted to stay and talk with Tommy, at least be in their presence for a bit, but Wilbur was right. Now more than ever the heat was on Tubbo, another slip could mean bringing down their whole operation. There were serious consequences for being caught, ones far worse than had ever been imposed before. It was time to realize that the game they were playing was a winner-take-all, and life or death were the stakes.


	11. Your Obedient Servant

“All right, it looks like we’ve gone over everything on my agenda. Quackity, anything else to add? How’s the wall coming along?” Schlatt leaned back in his chair, looking across the table to where his vice president sat.

“Great! Everything’s been taken down, now all that’s left is to relocate the old stone to the designated locations. I’ve got a team of people working on that as we speak,” Quackity informed. “Fundy, you wanted some of it to go to the construction on the new dance hall, correct?”

“Whatever pieces are still intact, yeah. Anything unusable can be taken to the quarry or used for gravel. I think our next step should be to replace the dirt roads, but that will obviously be further down the line.” Fundy was clearly very excited as he spoke about the projects currently underway.

“Sounds good. I’ll let them know, that should be over to you by the end of the day.”

“And we’ve got saplings ready to plant?” Fundy asked.

“About twenty small ones behind the greenhouse,” Quackity confirmed.

“Perfect. Tubbo, would you mind heading up that task?” Fundy requested. Tubbo nodded, content with doing whatever was handed to him.

“Now this is what I like to see! Boys, we’re making faster headway than I imagined. It’s all coming together, isn’t it Tubbo?” Schlatt grinned. Tubbo copied him.

“Were making remarkable progress!” He replied in a tone brighter than he really felt.

It hadn’t even been a week since Tubbo’s visit to Pogtopia – the one in which he told Wilbur and Tommy about the pitfalls of Manberg – but things had already been completely reversed. Tubbo almost felt like he had willed the new reforms into existence. He was torn; on one hand he didn’t want Schlatt’s administration to prove effective and fruitful, but on the other it was nice to see their city finally recovering from the trauma of the election. He hated to admit it, but the nation was improving.

“Well, you’ve all got work to do, so let’s get to it! I’ll see you tomorrow morning for a debriefing.” With that the four gathered themselves up from the table. Quackity and Tubbo exchanged conversation as they exited the Whitehouse, meanwhile Fundy hung back to look over the blueprints currently scattered across his desk. Seeing the intricate designs made his head hurt just a bit, he was fairly skilled in construction, but nowhere near a pro. For a moment he wished Eret was there to help him utilize the plans, but that thought was quickly dismissed. Admittedly there were moments when Fundy forgot about Eret’s betrayal, his subconscious assuming that his old friend was still there at his metaphorical side.

Schlatt watched the Treasury Secretary go about his task. He was purposefully slow in collecting his own belongings. “You seem passionate about these projects Fundy.”

“Oh. Yeah, well, I’m just glad to have the chance to do something beneficial for L’Man- Manberg,” Fundy said with a smile.

“I can tell. That new flag you made looks great.”

“Just doing my part.” Fundy felt his heart drop at the mention of the newly created flag. His mind naturally went to Niki, considering her involvement in the original design and creation, as well as his actions against her the night of Schlatt’s announcement.

Fundy knew Niki had been arrested. Schlatt told him about the traitorous acts the morning of the day she had been apprehended. Of course he wasn’t happy with the fact that she was being prosecuted, but he didn’t dare say that. He understood why it was happening, and he reasoned that being arrested was far better than any other punishment the president might enact. As much as he didn’t want to see his friend suffer, he didn’t agree with her aiding Wilbur and Tommy. Fundy by no means wanted the exiled men to fall into harm’s way; being banished from their nation was punishment enough for whatever they’d done while in office. He could see the good Schlatt was bringing, and he realized none of it would have come about with those two still in the country. All Fundy wanted was for things to settle how they were. Schlatt’s administration was thriving, Wilbur and Tommy were allegedly alive somewhere out in the wilderness, and he finally had a position that allowed him to govern to his fullest potential. Perhaps after things had calmed there would be time for reconciliation, but right now it was stupid to try and side with Wilbur and Tommy. They would be fine on their own until the time came when the two sides could find a peace.

Fundy still felt the slightest bit anxious around Schlatt, despite the fact that he’d proved himself to be an ally. Part of it was the lingering distaste for the way he and Quackity had come into their nation. On top of that, Fundy still felt uncomfortable with certain choices the president made. He moved in extremes, and held a very intense persona at all times. It almost wasn’t possible to feel at ease in his presence.

“Wilbur never gave you this amount of responsibility, did he?” Schlatt’s question was calculated, and he already knew the answer as soon as he’d asked it.

“No, not really. He was wrapped up in himself. I think the position blinded him a bit. It’s good that he’s not in charge anymore, he couldn’t seem to handle all the pressure that was put on him.”

“Well, we’re just lucky he held that election. It might have been the only good thing to come from the Soot administration,” Schlatt joked.

As Fundy was finishing up gathering his blueprints and plans, he couldn’t help but linger on the thought of the election. It was a topic he tried not to dwell on, but something in the back of his mind kept urging him to question the validity of Schlatt’s victory. It wasn’t impossible that he’d genuinely gotten the majority of the votes, but it still seemed strange that an outsider would win against two established officials.

“Schlatt?” Fundy asked, already regretting the decision to bring up the topic. “I was wondering something – not because I don’t want you in office, it was just a random thought really, but.. I just wanted to know if the election results were real or fabricated.”

The president gave an amused grin, nodding his head at the bold query. “I’m surprised no one’s questioned me up until now.”

“No, I wasn’t – ”

“It’s fine. I get it.” Schlatt gave him a side glance, mischievous smirk across his face. “I’m gonna tell you a little secret Fundy. Sometimes, cheating is the only way forward.”

Fundy’s stomach turned at the statement and he wasn’t sure how to reply. Luckily Schlatt was quick to jump in again.

“This is a case where I didn’t need to though. A majority of these people really did vote me into office.” Even though Schlatt seemed confident with his words, Fundy still wasn’t sure if he believed them. However, he didn’t want to stir the pot any further.

“Of course. Thank you again Mr. President, I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” He left in a hurry, soon Schlatt was on his own. The president retreated to his office, flipping a gold coin in the air as he slowly walked through his Whitehouse.

Not long after the cabinet members had gone about their duties a knock was heard from the front door of the building. It was a bit surprising, seeing as hardly anyone visited. Schlatt called the person in, watching to see who it was as the figure opened the door to his office. A tall, curly haired man appeared in the doorway, one who looked vaguely familiar.

“Mr. President, thank you for seeing me. We met a few weeks back when Essempee hosted a welcome party – ”

“Eret, right?” Schlatt finished for him. “I remember you. You’re one of Dream’s friends.”

Eret smiled, nodding in response. He cautioned a step further in, Schlatt beckoned him to sit down. “If I may, I’d like to speak with you about the state of Manberg. As you may or may not know, I was once a citizen, until I chose to – abandon my post – for lack of a better term.”

“I’m aware of the events of the war,” Schlatt assured, though no distain was attached to the statement.

“Yes, well, I feel that my history might be of some benefit to you.” Schlatt raised an interested eyebrow, urging Eret to continue. “I have no stake in the country, but I feel strongly that your leadership will be far greater than Wilbur’s, and I want to support you. As of now I stand with Essempee, but I know a great deal about the people of Manberg. I might be able to help sway public opinion heavily in your favor. If you’ll have me, I think I may be valuable as a consultant.”

Schlatt stood up, moving to close the door to his office before returning to his desk with a devilish grin.

“I’d love to have a chat with you Eret.”

The following day each cabinet member was given time off from their duties, which was exactly what Tubbo needed. He told Schlatt he wanted to use his free afternoon to look for Tommy and Wilbur, and as soon as he was given the go-ahead he gathered up a pack and set off. From the outside you wouldn’t be able to tell, but inside he’d put together rope, paper banners, paint, and whatever other decorations he could fit into the pack. Seeing Manberg come together inspired him to make Pogtopia look brighter as well. It may have seemed childish, but he thought that livening up the ravine might lift his friend’s spirits. They’d been down there for far too long, he could see the toll it was taking on them. They spent each day planning and preparing, it was high time they took a break and had some fun.

Tubbo arrived at Pogtopia at the perfect time; Wilbur and Techno were out gathering food and firewood, and had left Tommy to himself. It had been decided that they shouldn’t leave the ravine unattended unless they had to, thinking it would be best to have at least one person stay behind. Although Tubbo wondered why they thought it would be better to have Tommy there alone than have no one at all.

Regardless, Tommy was glad to see Tubbo sneak out from the tunnel and into the cavern. Tommy realized the two of them had hardly been alone since he was banished. He missed hanging out with just the two of them.

They joked around and talked for a little while before Tubbo revealed his plans for the day. It was strange how quickly they could forget their circumstances while in each other’s company. Eventually the two devolved into a state of giggles, neither entirely sure what had sparked it. Laughter filled the cave endlessly, everything was funny and there was no end in sight to their fits of joy. Every word sent them deeper into their state, one in which absolutely everything was the most hilarious thing either had heard. It took a while for them to calm down, Tubbo did his best to quell their laughs in order to pull out the banners he’d brought with him.

“Only one problem.” Tubbo held back another bubbling laugh, “I didn’t really think about how we’d put these up.”

Tommy choked out a chuckle, looking around as though deep in thought. “You’ll come up with something, I’m sure.”

“Why do I have to? I’m the one who brought them now you figure out the rest.” Tubbo gently pushed his friend.

“Alright.. Let’s get a bunch of tree sap – yeah – and just fuckin’ stick it to the wall.”

“Tommy that’s the stupidest idea ever.”

“You told me I was in charge of putting it up!” Tommy laughed out, fake annoyed.

“We’re gonna be covered in tree sap! Why would you want that?” he replied.

Tommy rolled his eyes, looking upwards along the walls of the cave. “Fine. I reckon we could just jam the ends of the rope in the bits of rock, and string the banner’s up that way.”

Tubbo waggled his head, not entirely sure how well it would work, but agreeing as to avoid using the sap idea. “Sure, let’s give it a go.”

Techno and Wilbur came back to the sounds of giggling and name calling, both immediately recognizing the voices of their companions. Wilbur rolled his eyes, muttering to Techno about how he wasn’t sure he wanted to know what the teens were up to.

“Nothing good.” Techno cracked a smile, playfully enjoying the irritation Wilbur was building at whatever chaos waited below.

Sure enough, they walked into the ravine to see a sloppily decorated cave. The ropes and banners were crooked and droopy, paper cutouts were wedged into whatever crevices were reachable, and the walls were covered in poorly painted messages and doodles. It looked as though two five year-olds had broken into a bin of art supplies unsupervised.

“What the hell.” Wilbur didn’t have the capacity to question anything anymore, he just stared on, completely done with the shenanigans of the youngest two. Tommy and Tubbo broke their giggles long enough to give their leader a blank stare.

“We’re making it more lively.” Tommy offered, voice high pitched with hesitance. From behind Techno was laughing ever so slightly. Wilbur shot him an annoyed glare as well, before releasing an exasperated groan.

“I’m not going to be able to stop this am I..” He muttered to himself before turning back to the boys. “Fine, go ahead, but if I see one inappropriate message on the wall you’re both sleeping outside tonight.”

Tommy and Tubbo held back their laughs as they carried on their tasks, stringing together the last of the banners. Wilbur went about roasting the game they’d caught for dinner, supplementing it with the collection of potatoes and carrots that had been dropped off at their entrance. The food had was still being delivered there each morning, still no idea where it was coming from. He sat near the fire, but kept an eye on the boys as they worked on the “decorations” of Pogtopia.

Techno seemed to be intrigued by their actions as well, which was odd. He usually paid little mind to whatever the others were doing, but something about their glee amidst the devastation captured his attention. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever felt that giddy or energetic over anything, let alone something as trivial as paper and paint. He couldn’t help but smile, happy to see that they weren’t letting the brutality of their situation take away their child-like joy.

He stood close by as Tommy tried to wedge the end of the rope into a crevice that was far out of reach. With a hard stare, he decided more drastic measure would need to be taken.

“Get on my shoulders Tubbo, I’ll lift you up to reach it.”

Tubbo gave an unsteady look just as Wilbur called out, “That sounds like a terrible idea.”

Tommy rolled his eyes. “Come on! I’m strong, you’ll be fine! Now here, hold onto the rope and let me lift you up.”

The teen squatted down and patted his shoulders, Tubbo reluctantly climbed onto Tommy’s back, using the wall to keep himself propped up. Tommy slowly and wobbly rose, eventually getting high enough to allow Tubbo to reach the spot.

“Hurry up – you’re fatter than I thought,” Tommy groaned, knees beginning to buckle.

“Shut up To – ” As Tubbo spoke he leaned to reach the spot, foot slipping on Tommy’s shirt. He tried to regain his balance but overcorrected, unable to stop himself as he was sent toppling backwards. Tubbo yelped in panic, flailing as he tried to grab hold of anything. Techno moved fast – he dove forward, barely managing to catch the boy in his arms. The two stumbled backwards, Techno somehow managed to keep his footing as he lowered Tubbo slowly to the ground. Tommy was frozen, eyes wide in terror as the dread washed through him.

“Tubbo!” Wilbur raced over, making sure he was fine. The boy was breathing heavy, still reeling from the near fatal fall, but unharmed. The leader’s gaze turned to Tommy.

“What the fuck were you thinking?! You could have killed him!” Wilbur lunged forward, grabbing him by the coat. “Take down these stupid decorations. This isn’t a kids birthday party, this isn’t arts and crafts. You’re wasting our time and you’re being reckless.”

The tone in Wilbur’s voice had drastically shifted, and while he had reason to be angry, his reaction seemed to have exploded out of nowhere. Even Techno was beginning to look worried at the sudden outburst.

“Everyone’s fine Wilbur,” He said, cool voice seeming to ease the tension.

“It was my idea anyway..” Tubbo admitted. Wilbur let go of his grip on Tommy, realization of his intense reaction washed over his eyes. He turned to Tubbo as he kept going. “I mean, after being in L’Manberg with all the improvements I just thought it would be nice to make Pogtopia a bit better too..”

“Improvements?” Tubbo went silent, Wilbur prodded for more information. “What do you mean make Pogtopia better too? What’s Schlatt doing in L’Manberg?”

He didn’t want to answer, but it was too late now. “He’s just – uh – been starting some projects recently. Nothing much, just making it look nicer, I guess.”

Wilbur nodded, jaw clenched. “Does it look better than it did before?”

“Not really.. I mean, compared to how it looked with all the rubble from the wall, I suppose.” Tubbo shuffled, glancing to Tommy and Techno as though to ask for help. “It’s not better than before. Just different.”

“I see.”

“It’s really nothing Wilbur. I was just being dumb with all the decorations. I’ll take them down.” Tubbo moved forward to collect the materials he brought, but Wilbur caught his arm.

“It’s fine. Tommy can do it.” Wilbur moved slowly back to the fire, checking on the roasting food as though nothing was wrong.

“Um – Wilbur?” Tubbo cautioned.

“Shouldn’t you be getting back to Schlatt?” Tubbo’s heart broke at the words. He suddenly felt like an intruder. Swallowing his tears, he backed away from the group.

“I guess I should.” He avoided eye contact with Tommy, despite his friend’s outstretched arm asking him to stay. With nothing more than a wave, he grabbed his empty backpack and disappeared down the tunnel back to Manberg. Techno didn’t want to face the hostility the argument had created and slunk back into his own corner, leaving Tommy alone. The teen wanted to scream at Wilbur for his bitterness towards Tubbo. This wasn’t the Wilbur he knew, this was a twisted version of the leader he’d so diligently followed all these years. Though as much as he wanted to fight to through to the mentor he once had, he didn’t know how. He didn’t have the words to do it, so he stayed silent.

Tommy didn’t eat that night. He didn’t take down the decorations either, his last act of defiance. If Wilbur wanted them gone so bad, he could do it himself. Wilbur wasn’t in charge of him anymore; they weren’t in L’Manberg, he wasn’t the president, they weren’t anything. Tommy didn’t have to follow him. For so many years the teen had convinced himself that he had to obey the words Wilbur spoke, but he didn’t. Nothing was forcing Tommy to stay by his side, yet he did. In that moment, something deep in his mind told him he didn’t want to follow him anymore.

Yet somehow, the thought of actually leaving Wilbur’s side didn’t even cross Tommy’s mind.

Niki was rarely thankful for being awoken without warning, but recently she’d started to become grateful for the interruptions. More often than not she would be trapped in a nightmare, unable to wake up on her own and escape the horrors of her mind. 

When she heard several sets of footsteps marching down the steps towards her she sprung up from her sleeping state and rose to her feet. She’d never been visited by more than one person at a time. Not knowing the purpose of the impending people she backed away from the cell door, anxiously waiting for whatever was in store. 

When she saw Fundy break into view, she wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disconcerted.

“Fundy.” She gave him an intense stare, he looked apologetic when he saw the state of his friend. He hadn’t realized how rough the past few weeks have been, it was evident in her appearance. As much as he wanted to say something, he didn’t know what.

Quackity was right behind Fundy, holding a set of keys in his hand. She was so distracted by the objects that she almost failed to notice the friendly face at the rear of the group.

“Eret?” She rushed to the front of the cell without thinking. It might have been best not to let onto the fact that they’d had correspondence, but at that point she didn’t really care if they knew about their partnership. She was ecstatic to see someone she could trust. Fundy held a confused expression at Niki’s reaction; he slowly began to put the pieces together, speculating on what had been happening behind the scenes. 

“Back up,” Quackity told her, using his keys to unlock the door. Niki watched on in confusion before Quackity motioned for her to exit the cell. “Come on.”

“What’s happening?” She nervously stepped towards the exit, gaze shifting between Fundy and Eret. 

“We’re escorting you out of Manberg. Your sentence is up,” Fundy explained gently. 

Niki was left speechless as she stepped out of the prison she’d stayed in for so long, the area outside the cage feeling foreign. She moved past Quackity, lingering in front of Fundy for a moment.

“I’m sorry..” He tried to reach out a hand to comfort her, but Eret stepped between them and put his arm around her shoulder to steer her away,

“Let’s go Niki.” Eret shot Fundy a glare, Niki refused to make eye contact with anyone. She wanted to be angry at her friend, but she couldn’t bring herself to feel the same ire Eret did. 

The sun was blinding when Niki broke out into the world. It was the first time she’d been outside in weeks. Eret shielded her from the light as they silently marched towards the exit of Manberg, Quackity and Fundy trailing shortly behind. The freed prisoner was still reeling from the fact that she was out of captivity, her brain not yet catching up with the situation at hand. She had so many questions but she didn’t say a thing. From behind she could hear Quackity and Fundy speaking in hushed voices, no words could be make out though. 

Niki didn’t realize how tense she’d been until they left the boundaries of the city, where she finally let herself relax. One final look back at her old home showed the two cabinet members watching them walk away. Slowly, they faded completely out of view. 

“What just happened,” Niki spoke out in a dazed tone. Eret stopped in the road, pulling her into a hug now that they were out of view of the opposition.

“I’m getting you out of here.”

They pushed on, and once they were outside the limits Eret led her to his horse, which had been tied up just outside Manberg. He pulled water and an apple out from the pack on the saddle, passing both to her.

“Take your time, eat and drink. Once you’re ready I’ll take you back to Essempee.”

Niki gave him a confused look, shaking her head, “I’m not allowed there.”

“You are now. I spoke with Dream, he’s given you a pass to allow you back into the city.” Eret untied the reins from the post, preparing his horse for the trip. “Given the circumstances, Dream has decided to lessen some of the restrictions he previously put into place. It’s not safe for you to be in Manberg, we wanted you to have somewhere to find sanctuary.” 

Though Eret was trying to help the situation, it was only making her more confused. Did Dream know about what was happening in Manberg? Was he also against Schlatt?

“How.. how did you get me out?” A basic question, one with a complicated answer.

“Well - to put it simply, I spoke with Schlatt. I’ve offered myself up as a ‘consultant’ of sorts. He thinks I’m on his side,” Eret explained, “We spoke about how to get the citizens on Schlatt’s side, and I used that to bring up your arrest. It’s a long story, but I convinced him that keeping you imprisoned made him look like more of a villain. You had a positive reputation for being kind and gentle, having someone like you as a prisoner was only harming his image.”

She nodded along. She had no idea how Eret had managed to sweet talk Schlatt into all of that, but she was grateful that he did. She didn’t know what she would have done if she was in there for much longer. 

“And he agreed to that.” It was more of a statement than a question, considering she was already freed from her cell.

“It wasn’t easy, but I managed to convince him that my past connection to L’Manberg could be of benefit to him.” Eret watched as she consumed the food and water, and he wondered how often she’d been fed while imprisoned.

“Thank you. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay you for all you’ve done for me,” she said. He gave her a warm smile.

“Taking down Schlatt will be payment enough.”

Niki gave one last look at the city, no longer surrounded by the walls they’d built long ago. She wouldn’t be leaving it, not forever. “We’ll get it back. You and me, Wilbur, Tommy, Tubbo, we’ll do what it takes to get our country back.”

When Tubbo dropped off the next round of supplies for Pogtopia, he purposefully did so late at night. Though the main reason for his midnight visit was to avoid being seen sneaking out, he also didn’t want to face Wilbur again. After the events of the day prior he felt unwelcomed; he knew deep down that his friends still wanted him on the team, but it seemed like most of his visits ended sourly. The only news he had to deliver was bad. He tried to tell the truth, but sometimes the truth was worse than just letting things go on undisclosed. 

Tubbo just wanted to feel like he was important, like he was a valued member of the team. Instead he was floating in the middle; he surely wasn’t on Schlatt’s side, but he didn’t feel like Wilbur wanted him on his side at the moment either. Tubbo had to do something to prove his worthiness, he just needed to figure out what. 

There was hardly any light left in the ravine when Tubbo arrived. That was fine, he was just going to leave the supplies and go straight back. His movements were silent as he placed the pack down. He stopped for a moment to look over to the sleeping forms of Tommy and Wilbur. They were breathing gently, still and calm. Sleep may have been the only time they found any tranquility. 

When Tubbo turned back to the tunnel he was spooked by the movement of another figure, and he almost let out a yelp in surprise. Techno was propped against the wall, giving Tubbo a contemplative look.

“I didn’t realize you were awake. Sorry,” he whispered.

“It’s fine. Just keeping watch.” Techno remained unmoving, Tubbo shuffled back towards the exit.

“I’ll leave you to it. Goodnight.” A few seconds of silence followed before he called out to the teen.

“Are you doing okay?” 

Tubbo was surprised by the question. Technoblade had never made a concerted effort to connect with anyone. The boy hesitated, unsure of what to say back.

“Yeah. I’m fine.” Techno nodded, no other reply. Tubbo wanted to keep moving, but something kept him stuck in the spot. Maybe it was the way the boy lingered, a silent cry for someone to listen to him, that refused to let Techno drop the subject. 

“Let’s go outside. I’ve got a nice tree we can sit in.”

For as little as Technoblade spoke, Tubbo wasn’t really uncomfortable being alone with him. He’d been around him long enough, exposure to the brooding warrior had unintentionally created a bond between them. It seemed strange that a stranger - one Wilbur was wary of for weeks - came around to being a comforting presence. 

“Do you come up here a lot?” Tubbo asked as he swung his legs back and forth over the edge of the limb. 

“Sometimes. When I need to be _really_ alone.”

Tubbo hummed in response. “Did you know Tommy jumped out of a tree and dislocated his shoulder.” 

Techno let out a breathy laugh. “That doesn’t surprise me. He seems like the type to do that.”

Wind moved through the branches swiftly. Tubbo pulled his coat a little tighter. From below he could faintly hear the moans of zombies somewhere out of sight. Techno seemed unphased at the noise, opposite to Tubbo’s wariness. The teen felt like he’d been on edge for a month straight, and he pretty much had. Everything was a threat, one slip up meant death, so it was understandable that he was constantly anxious of the world around him.

“How are you so fearless?” Tubbo asked as he picked at a loose him of his dark coat. 

“After you’ve seen as much as I have, nothing really scares you anymore.” Techno stared off into the darkened sky, shrugging his shoulders a bit. “I wasn’t always fearless though. No one is.”

Tubbo looked up to the man sitting next to him, nodding in agreement. He wanted him to keep going, but he wasn’t going to outright ask him to elaborate. 

“I suppose so. You just seem very..” 

“Dark? Intense?”

“I wasn’t going to say that,” Tubbo countered. “I just meant you seem like you’ve never had to worry about anything.”

Techno didn’t reply, lowering his gaze. Tubbo was quick to rephrase.

“Not that you didn’t - I mean, I’m sure it’s been hard, you know. You’re just really brave.” Tubbo sighed, apologizing as he started biting at his nails. 

“It’s fine, I know what you meant.” Another silence took over. 

Tubbo wanted to leave, yet at the same time he didn’t. There was an air between them that suggested they weren’t finished talking yet. The teen decided to take advantage of the fact that Technoblade had offered to listen in the first place, and blurted out the feeling he’d been pushing down.

“I don’t think I can do this.” He held back tears, not expecting the words to bring forth the tangibility of his emotions so quickly. “I’m not brave enough to be the spy Wilbur wants me to be.”

Techno honestly didn’t know what to say to reassure him. He was never one to comfort, usually the mere thought of it made him squirm. Yet he felt a sense of duty to try his best, after the cold shoulder Wilbur gave the kid needed someone to instill courage into him.

“Just because you’re scared doesn’t mean you’re not brave.”

Tubbo digested the words. He thought back to the war for L’Manberg, for the fighting he’d done for his country. He thought about the election, and the fear that raced through him when he was called onto the stage. Every moment since then had been anxiety inducing, yet he’d gotten through it. Was that bravery? It sure didn’t feel like it, but then again, he was still standing. That had to be worth something.

“Thank you,” He whispered softly. Techno heard the appreciative phrase, but stared forwards as if he didn’t. Tubbo seemed to feel better by his words, and that’s all that really mattered. 

“I think I should head back to the ravine. Are you okay to make the trek back to Manberg?” Tubbo nodded in response to Techno’s question. He waited for a moment until Techno got down first, making sure the coast was clear before also dropping back to the ground. They walked back in silence to Pogtopia, waving each other goodbye as they separated, back on their own paths once again.

The night was far from over. Tubbo had a newfound courage in his step as he snuck back into Manberg and into the home that he now lived alone in. Even though he knew there shouldn’t be anyone there but him, he failed to register the fact that a faint light was glowing through the windows of his cottage. He was used to coming home to a late night lantern, Tommy often stayed up waiting for Tubbo to get home. That habitual routine was engraved in Tubbo’s mind, even now, when there shouldn’t have been anyone waiting for him to return.

Seeing Schlatt calm was scarier than seeing Schlatt angry when you knew you’d done something wrong. When he was outwardly upset you knew what you were in for; you could put your head down and bear through the outburst. But when he started off calm you were filled with anticipatory dread, waiting for the other shoe to drop and for the real threats to surface. When Schlatt seemed calm, he was most likely more upset than if he were showing it. 

So seeing Schlatt calmly lounging in his living room, a glass of alcohol held limply in his hand, terrified Tubbo to his core.

“Where have you been Tubbo? I’ve been waiting for an hour.”

If there was ever a time he needed to be brave, it was now. Techno’s words reverberated in his head, giving him the strength he needed. He couldn’t stutter, he couldn’t falter, he couldn’t let on any sense of guilt. Tubbo could do this. It was his job to do this; he was a spy for Wilbur, not Schlatt’s right hand man.

“I was working on a project. It was meant to be a surprise.” Tubbo shocked himself with how naturally the answer came. 

“A project? What kind of project?” Schlatt leaned forward, placing a hand on his knee.

“A library.” It was the first thing that came to mind. He had to scramble to flesh out the lie even more, though he kept a steady face as he hung his jacket up. “I guess you could call it more of an archive. I wanted to document everything that’s been happening under your administration.”

Tubbo’s heart was racing as Schlatt burned holes in him. He gave a half smile as he stood opposite the president. It seemed like an eternity that he was waiting for Schlatt to give some kind of indication of whether or not he was buying the lie. 

“An archive.. Where is it then?” 

Shit. Where was it? Tubbo had no idea what location to give that would cause him to be gone for so long. “Well that’s the surprise! I can show you my progress tomorrow, if you really want, but I was hoping to have a grand reveal for you.”

“It’s important to preserve history..” Schlatt repeated the sentiment Tubbo had shared a week prior, though he didn’t sound like he believed it himself. Tubbo chuckled, nodding as confidently as he could. Schlatt didn’t break his partial frown. “Hmm.”

“I’m sorry Mr. President, next time I’ll ask your permission before starting a project.”

Schlatt rose with a subtle groan, stepping over to Tubbo with an extended hand. “It’s not that I don’t want you to take initiative, it’s just the.. secrecy. You can understand why I’d be suspicious of someone sneaking around without my knowledge.”

“I should have thought about that. I’m sorry Schlatt.” Addressing him by his first name wasn’t something Tubbo often did to his face. It had happened naturally. Maybe the personability would soften the bubbling distrust. 

Schlatt placed a hand on Tubbo’s shoulder, grip tightening ever so slightly. “I have my ear up to you Tubbo. I’m listening.” 

Tubbo nodded. The president's voice was low and serious as he called back to the metaphor. Schlatt lingered in his threatening state for a few more seconds before shifting his demeanor into a friendly one. “How about a glass of whiskey.” 

“I..” Tubbo remembered the last time he’d been offered a glass of alcohol. That had been with a close friend in a safe space. Drinking with Schlatt was the last thing he wanted to do. “I don’t like the taste of it. I’ll pass.”

Schlatt laughed and shook his head. “Of course you don’t.”

It didn’t seem like he meant it in a bad way, but Tubbo couldn’t be sure. “Maybe when I’m older I’ll like it more.”

“Maybe, Tubbo.” He took a long sip, downing the rest of his drink and putting the empty glass down. “You’re a good kid. I really hope you make the right choices.”

The blatant honesty was off putting, and Tubbo wasn't sure if Schlatt had meant to say that out loud. It wasn’t clear whether or not he actually trusted the teen yet. He made it sound as though Tubbo was his right hand man, but there were constant threats levied against him that indicated a lack of uncertainty. It was a constant struggle for Tubbo to figure out where he stood with Schlatt, and it didn’t seem like it would be getting any easier. If anything, it would only become more challenging to sneak around without getting noticed. 

“Fuck, this is so crazy isn’t it!” Schlatt motioned around him vaguely. “I’m having a lot of fun here Tubbo. Who would have thought we’d be here?”

Tubbo nodded uncomfortably, not entirely sure what the president was saying. Schlatt didn’t appear drunk, but it seemed as though he lacked a filter over his thoughts. All Tubbo wanted was to be rid of the threat in his living room.

“It’s been an honor to be your right hand man sir. I’m looking forward to meeting with you tomorrow morning,” Tubbo said as he started back to his bed room. Schlatt appeared to get the hint, grabbing his coat and throwing it lazily over his shoulder.

“I’ve given you a tremendous opportunity here.” Schlatt slowly moved to the door with his parting words, turning and giving Tubbo one last malevolent stare before leaving. “If I were you, I’d be careful not to fuck it up.”


	12. Don't Forget from Which You Came

Tubbo’s foot was tapping rapidly as he waited for the daily meeting to wrap up. There was so much he had to do, and he was anxious to get started on it all.

The biggest things on his mind were Niki and Eret. Tubbo had been told about her release, and about Eret’s “allegiance” to Schlatt. He’d been given the assignment of venturing to Essempee that evening to meet with the former traitor - though he wasn’t entirely sure why he was the one going. Schlatt definitely knew about their rocky past, so why had Tubbo of all people been chosen to confer with the old enemy once again? It might have very well been a test - for Eret, Tubbo, or both of them. 

It didn’t seem like Schlatt knew that Niki was staying with Eret, but Tubbo definitely did. A secretly delivered message revealed the fact that she was safe, and that their door was open to him. Despite how much pain had been caused in the past, Tubbo was grateful for the chance to finally make amends. It was clear that Niki trusted him, and Eret had risked his position of safety to interfere in Schlatt’s rule. Though Tubbo knew he was being sent there to uncover evidence of double crossing, he had no intentions of finding anything of the sort. His real goal would be much more personal.

His journey into the opposing country wasn’t his only task that day though. His previous lie to Schlatt about making an archive had gotten his mind rolling; Aside from creating a library in Manberg to keep up with his fibbing, Tubbo also resolved to save all the original documents Wilbur had written. As far as he knew Schlatt hadn’t been able to find the declaration of independence and the other papers from the first presidency. The teen knew where they’d been hidden; the only problem was that they were under the floorboards of Wilbur’s old bedroom, which was now Schlatt’s office. He’d have to be quick and sneaky to retrieve them undetected. 

Amidst his dazed state he almost missed the president’s closing words as the cabinet moved away from the meeting. Tubbo followed suit, hanging back as he waited for everyone else to filter out. Schlatt casually called out to see if the boy was following, Tubbo told him he just had to grab a few more things and that he would be out soon as well. 

The president gave a wordless grunt of acknowledgement before exiting the building, looking over papers as he did so. Once Tubbo was sure he was alone he crept into the office, quickly locating the correct spot, and stuffing the documents into his coat. It took him less than a minute, and no one suspected anything when he rejoined them a few moments later. He felt giddy with excitement with the treasures now safely retrieved, he couldn’t wait to reveal the surprise to the inhabitants of Pogtopia.

Wilbur and Techno were mid conversation when Tubbo popped into the ravine with a tangible excitement. The ex-president didn’t give the spy a smile when he walked in. It was the first time he hadn’t kindly acknowledged Tubbo’s arrival. 

“Wilbur?” The teen felt a rush of nervousness as he spoke to him. It felt wrong being so fearful of interacting with him, but Wilbur was drifting further and further away from the compassionate president he used to be. “I have something to show you.”

Wilbur nodded, stepping away from Techno with a curt nod. Tubbo tried not to let the unfriendly greeting sway his excitement as he walked over to an unused section of the ravine. Wilbur watched expectantly as the boy pulled out a large, brown envelope, carefully extending it out to him. 

"I know it’s not much now, but I figured we could get so planks and such to make a little shelf here, display them if you’d like,” Tubbo explained as Wilbur opened the package and pulled out the documents. A small smile fell over his face, and his presence suddenly didn’t seem as hostile anymore. 

“How did you get these?” Wilbur asked in a half whisper.

“They were still under the floor. Schlatt never found them so I took them when no one was around.” Tubbo felt even more pleased with himself. “I figured you should be the one to have them.”

“Thank you Tubbo.” Wilbur slid the pages back into the envelope, turned to him with a moment of hesitation before giving him a quick hug. The gesture caught Tubbo off guard, but he returned it after the initial shock wore off.

“I’m sorry for the other night, I..” Wilbur didn’t meet the boy's eyes, “It’s just been hard to know who to trust recently. I shouldn’t have doubted you.”

“It’s alright. We all have our bad days,” Tubbo reassured.

“I don’t think I’ve told you enough how proud I am of you. All that time as my Secretary of State, and you didn’t get the recognition you deserved. I can’t make that up now, but I can do better from here on out.” Wilbur set the documents in a safe location before leading the two back towards the fire pit. Techno was nowhere to be seen, which left the two on their own.

“I didn’t do it for the recognition you know. It may have been nice, but I just wanted to do what was right. That’s what this is all about, isn’t it?” Tubbo gave Wilbur an earnest look. The ex-president opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t find the words to reply with. 

“Yeah, of course.”

“And being able to help you and Tommy has made me feel appreciated, in a way. I know I’m on the right side of history.”

Wilbur sighed, smiling at the simplicity of the statement. The right side. That was what they were, or so they made themselves believe. “I know I can always trust you to make the best decisions, Tubbo. That’s what has always made you such a valuable confidant.”

“Thank you Wilbur.”

“I can always rely on you, can’t I?” The question was supposed to come out as a statement, but a hint of uncertainty infected Wilbur’s tone. Tubbo gave him a concerned look, nodding his head.

“Of course. Have I done anything to make you think otherwise?” Tubbo couldn’t help but think of all the conversations he’d had with Schlatt over trust. The last thing he wanted was for both his leaders to doubt him.

“No no. I’m just.. I know you’ll follow through. You’ll do whatever it is I ask.” Wilbur shifted his weight, thankful to see Techno entering the ravine from down the steps.

“Hey, so uh, where’s Tommy?” Techno asked offhandedly. Wilbur frowned.

“He was supposed to be out gathering food. How long has he been gone?” 

It didn’t take long for the two older men to register Tommy’s prolonged absence, and they both feared the worst. Tubbo followed quickly as they raced out into the woods, all of them calling the boy’s name and waiting to hear any sign of him. His heart was racing, scared for whatever could have happened to Tommy. 

“We have to go find him!” Tubbo exclaimed. 

"You two stay at the ravine just in case he comes back, I’ll go out looking for him. We shouldn’t risk losing another person. I’ll come back in an hour if I don’t find anything,” Techno instructed. As reluctant as they were, they trusted the warrior’s ability to be out on his own. The two retreated back, panic still coursing through them as they waited in hopes of the boy’s return.

It took nearly forty five minutes until they finally heard footsteps coming from the tunnel.

Wilbur and Tubbo sprang to their feet, running over to see Tommy emerging with a full pack. As much as Wilbur felt relieved that the boy was safe, he couldn’t help but wonder why he’d come back through the secret passage when he should have just been outside Pogtopia.

“Where the hell have you been?” Anger and relief mingled together in Wilbur’s question.

Tommy beamed with pride as he took off his backpack and emptied the contents on the ground. Several bows and dozens of arrows came spilling onto the stone. “Out getting supplies. You can thank me later.”

Tubbo’s head shot to look at Wilbur, already knowing the reaction that would shortly follow. He took a step away, not wanting to be a part of the disaster that was sure to unfold.

"Where did you get these?” The frustration was barely being contained by Wilbur.

“I snuck into Essempee and stole them,” Tommy admitted nonchalantly. Wilbur looked on in disbelief.

“You _snuck into Essempee_ and _stole them_?” Wilbur took a step closer, pushing the weapons aside with his foot. “What on earth led you to do something as idiotic and reckless as that!”

“I wasn’t -”

“No! No, you snuck out into the open - through the territories of both countries we are _banned_ from - and stole weapons! Do you know what could have happened if you’d been caught?”

"Dream’s on our side anyway, it doesn’t matter if I go into Essempee,” Tommy retorted.

“Dream only says he’s on our side! And even if he was, that doesn’t mean everyone there is our ally. If anyone else caught you, they would have turned you in and you would have been killed!”

“Well I didn’t get caught did I? I got us some useful shit, more than you’ve done in the past month!” Tommy gestured angrily to the supplies now covering the floor. 

"Tommy the last thing we need is to be risking our lives and our safety over a couple of arrows!” 

"Well we can’t sit here either!” Tommy paced closer to Tubbo, giving an exasperated look. “Tubbo, you agree with me, don’t you?”

The teen said nothing, frozen as he looked between the two arguing teammates. Tommy shook his head towards his friend, gesturing for him to say something, but he silently cowered away from taking a side. 

“You don’t understand anything. Just let me do what I need to do and we can finally win this,” Tommy whined out.

“No. You’re not going out on anymore suicide missions.” 

“You can’t boss me around Wilbur!” 

“What do you mean I can’t boss you around?” Wilbur spat back.

“We made a deal at the beginning of all this - there are no more presidents or vice presidents - we were a team! You aren’t in charge of me out here.” Tommy had a sense of despair hidden behind his bitterness. 

“I don’t care what we said back then. You’ve been irresponsible and careless, you clearly aren’t capable of making your own choices yet.” Wilbur’s voice became deep and serious. “I don’t want you leaving this ravine unless I tell you you can. You’re proving yourself to be too much of a loose cannon. I can’t let you fuck everything up for us.” 

“What! No!”

“Tommy I’m not asking.”

“No you can’t make me do that -”

“I can - ” Wilbur tried to cut in.

“You don’t get to say shit - ” Tommy continued to interrupt.

“You can’t handle having power -”

“No _you_ can’t -”

“Tommy.”

“You don’t know what I can do!”

“Tommy!”

“I’m just -”

“There is a reason why you’re not the president and never will be.” Wilbur’s words boomed over Tommy, silencing him in an instant. Tommy’s bottom lip quivered. He looked his mentor dead in the eye, swallowing away the pain of his verbal abuse and sprinting back towards the tunnel. 

“Get back here – don’t you fucking..”

But Tommy was already gone.

Hot tears ran down the boy's face as he stumbled blindly through the dark tunnel. Stifled sobs were let out in heavy breaths as he tried to make his way out through memory alone. Tommy continuously tripped over unseen items in the narrow passage, finally falling to his hands and knees with a desolate grunt. He clenched his grip, feeling gravel under his palms as he tried to squeeze away all the anger and sadness. One overdue sob finally came through, and he let it out without hesitation.

What had it come to? How had it all gone so wrong. They had everything and they lost it.

He didn’t want to feel helpless or alone or incapable. Wilbur was wrong. Tommy Innit didn’t cry, and he certainly didn’t let other people tell him his worth.

As much as he wanted to just give up and accept the fate they’d been assigned, he knew he couldn’t. There was so much more in store for him. With a determined huff of air he rubbed the tears from his face and pushed himself off the ground, slowly making his way further along until the sickeningly familiar mineshaft came into view. From there he went up, each step out of the underground lifting his spirits. If he could just see L’Manberg..

Tommy was perched on that hill for a long time. From where he was he could see all of the country, the walls no longer blocking off the view from outsiders. His knees were curled up into his chest, chin resting against his arms folded across them. A piece of him wondered if Wilbur’s words had been true, if he would never be president. Would he even be able to step foot in L’Manberg again? It seemed like they’d been waiting for an eternity for a chance to strike and take it all back, but nothing ever came. Schlatt was only getting stronger and more powerful, would they ever get their chance to act?

Unimpeded footsteps sounded from behind the teen, and he tensed in anticipation of who it was. Tubbo would be welcomed company, Wilbur was the last person Tommy wanted to speak to.

He didn’t think Techno would be the one who appeared at his side.

“Are you here to scold me like Wilbur?” The words came out in a harsh bite, but they didn’t faze the older man.

“No.” Nothing else was said, Techno simply sat down at his side and stared off at the nation in the distance too.

“Why are you here?” Tommy asked quietly. Techno took a deep breath.

“Wilbur didn’t want you going off on your own again. He sent Tubbo home right after you left, and you wouldn’t have listened to Wilbur if he came after you.”

“Congrats on babysitting duty then.”

Techno inhaled slowly, pulling a sprouting dandelion from the grass and twirling it in his fingers for a few seconds before throwing it off to the side.

“You’re not a child Tommy.”

“Then why am I being treated like one?” Tommy tightened the bandana around his neck as a cool breeze blew over them.

“Because you were acting like one,” Techno stated bluntly. “I know you want this to be over with, but this isn’t something you can fight with impulse. Schlatt is calculated, so we need to be too. Running around and risking your ass for a few extra arrows was stupid.”

Tommy turned his head away. He wasn’t being stupid. Wilbur hadn’t been letting him do anything useful, they’d been in that ravine for over a month without making any attempt to get back into L’Manberg.

“Tommy..” The teen looked up at the seriousness in Techno’s tone, only to be met with silence as the older man seemed to be wrestling with his own mind.

“Do you really think we can do this?” Tommy interrupted whatever thoughts he was having. Techno paused before nodding slowly.

“Yeah, I do. I wouldn’t still be here if I thought we’d lose.”

“So you’re only here because you think we can help you?”

“If you want to put it that way, sure.”

Tommy laughed a bit, though he wasn’t entirely sure why. Maybe it was the fact that Techno was here with him now, having a real conversation for the first time since they’d met. “So you don’t want to be here? If Schlatt weren’t here or anything, you’d still be all alone out there.”

Techno shifted in the damp grass, absentmindedly pulling more weeds from the ground. “I suppose I would be. I had no plans on crossing paths with L’Manberg otherwise.”

“What happened between you and Wilbur?”

Tommy regretted asking it as soon as he saw the swift change in Technoblade’s demeanor. Clearly that wasn’t a subject that either of the two wanted to discuss.

“There will be a lot of things that happen to you that you won’t want to think about after they’re over,” Techno stated, looking intently into the boys eyes. “Sometimes it’s better to forget what happened to you and move on. Parts of you die, you shouldn’t always mourn them.”

Tommy understood that, even though he didn’t want to admit it. There had been plenty of times when he started over and left his past behind. However, he didn’t want L’Manberg to become a distant memory like his other lives before him.

“L’Manberg won’t die. Maybe there are parts of life that are better to forget, but this isn’t one of them,” he replied definitively. Techno gave no response, already feeling like he’d said enough. Tommy looked out at the country one last time, longing to reach out and grab a hold of his last bit of hope.

“You’ll help us get it back, won’t you?” The childlike question echoed in Technoblade’s mind. It wasn’t something he could just ignore. Tommy’s face was heavy with hurt, and Techno knew there was only one answer that would lift the deep-seeded pain. He had to say it, even if he didn’t truly believe it.

“I’ll do whatever it takes. I’m on your side Tommy.”

“Niki!”

After an anxious journey through the streets of Essempee, Tubbo finally spotted his friend waiting for him outside a large stone house. He practically jumped onto her and tackled her in a hug. She stumbled back as she wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him tight.

“Hello Tubbo.” Her voice was still as warm as ever, and hearing it for the first time in weeks was like a dose of medicine. Considering the conflict he'd witnessed in Pogtopia, it was a much needed remedy to take distract him long enough to focus on his meeting with Eret.

“I’m so glad you’re okay. I was so worried and I wanted to help but I - ” 

“It’s okay, I understand. I wouldn’t have wanted you to jeopardize yourself for me. You’re far too valuable to risk anything like that,” she soothed. Tubbo nodded, still feeling guilty for his inability to make things better. All he could do was tell himself that she was safe now; he couldn’t be the one to overcome every obstacle they faced, it was a good thing they had another ally in their ranks.

It was strange being back in Essempee for something other than diplomatic duties. Tubbo hadn’t been allowed in as a visitor for the longest time, but he’d received a special pass from the opposing government for the foreseeable future. It was surprising that Dream had been so lenient, but he assumed it had something to do with the aid he was giving Pogtopia. He must have been aware of Niki, Tubbo – and evidently Eret's – allegiance. He could only hope that crucial secret remained unspoken. 

“So, is Eret here?” Tubbo asked meekly. Niki nodded gently, knowing this was the first time the two would speak in over a year. They’d hardly made contact at all since the night of the betrayal, and Niki wasn’t sure how susceptible he would be to Eret’s apology. Everything would be much easier if the long building hostility could be resolved, but considering the circumstances, that was a lot to ask for. 

Tubbo might have been the most heartbroken over Eret’s betrayal. The boy had been his apprentice for three years before the war, he looked up to him like an older brother. Having him suddenly ripped away like that took a long time to recover from. It still hurt thinking about that night, the wound had never fully healed. Tonight could be the night, Tubbo hoped he could find it in himself to forgive his mentor. 

Niki led him into the home of the traitor. It was big and beautifully crafted with cobblestone walls and high arches. Tubbo had never been in a home as nice as this one. It seemed that being an acquaintance of Dream’s was treating Eret well. 

Eret was waiting in his kitchen, nervously fidgeting with the cup of tea Niki had made him to calm his nerves. He’d been anticipating this day for so long, yet now that it was happening he wished he was anywhere else. He didn’t deserve the forgiveness. Eret was worried that Tubbo wouldn’t accept his apology, which would hurt even more than it already did. At least when they weren’t in contact he didn’t have a definitive answer, but now he couldn’t hide behind hypotheticals.

As Niki rounded the corner, Tubbo shortly behind, Eret stood up straight and readied himself for whatever was to come. Neither said anything to each other for a moment, both a bit overwhelmed that they were finally face to face again. Tubbo did something unexpected though – he gave Eret a smile. The mentor returned one, setting down the mug and muttering the words he’d waited a year to say.

“I think it’s time we talk about what happened.”

And they did. They spoke for hours, similar to the conversation Eret had with Niki a few weeks back. This time it was harder for him though. There was a deeper level of guilt. He could still remember the look on Tubbo’s face when they were cornered in that cavern. The words of pain still rung out in his mind, clear as the day he heard them. Tubbo deserved better than him, all of L’Manberg did.

But Tubbo forgave him nonetheless. 

It was never really a question in Tubbo’s mind. The moment he saw Eret he knew nothing from the past mattered. There was something earnest and genuine in his face. Tubbo had become very good at spotting the difference between sincerity and deceit, and his old mentor had proven how much he regretted the acts he’d committed. After it was all said and done he realized he’d never lost his love for Eret, only hidden it away.

Both of them cried. They wouldn’t admit it beyond the walls of that house, but they were just so relieved to let go of the hatred they were expected to feel for each other, a hatred that had never truly existed.

Finding a friend in the midst of the conflict was invaluable, and Tubbo didn’t take that for granted. When it seemed like the whole world was against them, their rekindled friendship was a breath of air in the ocean they were drowning in. The three of them seemed to be the last true L’Manbergians standing, gathered together in a cottage within Essempee. None of them ever imagined being in this position, yet there they were.

It didn’t take long for the three to become at peace in each other’s company. Tubbo was worried the evening would be strange and uncomfortable, but he was glad he’d been proven wrong. Niki had always been the biggest support for their group of friends, and Eret’s relaxed presence could quell anyone’s anxieties in an instant. As much as he still loved Tommy, Wilbur, and even Fundy, he needed to get away from the high stress environments that his other friends were putting him through. Eret’s home was an unexpected light in the darkness.

Tubbo was draped across the length of the couch, head half in Niki’s lap and feet hanging off the edge. The fireplace was warm and happy and Eret’s deep laughs filled the space. All was well for the three of them. Tubbo was finally able to let go of the anxieties and troubles of Manberg and Pogtopia. This was the one place he could forget about everything that was going wrong in the world he was trapped in. It was truly an escape, one with people he knew would protect and love him.

Niki absentmindedly ran a hand through Tubbo’s hair as they sat together in gentle conversation. Eret was talking about how much he’d missed L’Manberg, specifically Fundy’s dances. Essempee had plenty of events throughout the month, but nothing came close to the feel of the small town get-togethers they used to hold. 

“It was something about being around a small community. I don’t know everyone in Essempee, but I knew everyone in L’Manberg. You would always see a familiar face no matter where you went,” Eret reminisced. 

“I do miss that. Even though it’s only been a few months, it was always something to look forward to,” Niki agreed. Tubbo felt a smile grow on his face, and he slowly sat up from his relaxed place on the couch. He spotted what he was looking for, and moved to grab it from where it was resting against the wall.

“Why don’t we have one now?” He proposed as he strummed the guitar, testing to see if it was in tune. Eret chuckled, shaking his head playfully. Tubbo carried on, starting up a melody of chords. Niki giggled, tapping her foot along with the rhythm. 

Tubbo did his best to recall one of the songs they used to play at the dances, as he did he stepped into the middle of the room. He danced around the large living space, only missing a few notes every now and then. Niki laughed at his uncoordinated movements. Eret got up from his spot, walking over to her and extending a hand.

“Would you care to dance?” He asked. She smiled and took his hand, letting him help her off the couch.

“I’d love to.”

Eret pulled Niki against him as she was whisked onto their impromptu dance floor. He led her in whatever steps he could still remember, mostly improvising with twirls and dips to the guitar’s tune. Tubbo’s smile never left his face as the three danced around the living room laughing. It was as though nothing else existed other than their makeshift festivities, and in a way that was true.

Music filled the home at the end of street as three soul-bound friends reveled in the distraction from the never ending war outside. In the end it would always lead back to them, it was meant to be. Three lights would shine out despite the odds they were met with. Their world was never going to be safe or free of pain, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t find the golden moments in between.

Tubbo fell asleep in the company of loved ones for the first time in far too long. The fire turned to embers as their conversation faded with their sleepy eyes. This was the world Tubbo was fighting for, and it was then that he reminded of his motivations. The walls that had been torn down, the scorched flag, the land their nation sat on, none of that truly mattered. None of that was what he was fighting for. It was the people, and it always had been. That night in Essempee, L’Manberg existed in the three of them, and Schlatt would never be able to take that away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter before things start to really go down..  
> My partial apologies that the last five or so chapters haven't been all that action packed. Those ones were needed for plot and development purposes, but I understand that from a fanfic perspective they may not have been as enthralling to read.  
> But it all starts to go downhill from here for our characters..


	13. Have it All Lose it All

Wilbur was awfully quiet the day after his fight with Tommy, and not his usual quiet. Normally the ex-president had a sense of control about him. Even when he was upset, he seemed composed beneath his outbursts. Yet this morning he was acting erratically, pacing up and down, fiddling with things and being unable to stay still. He spoke silently to himself, almost as though he was fighting his own mind. Techno found that frighteningly familiar.

_You know somethings wrong. Go talk to him._

_This could be your chance. Plant the seed in his mind. Go. Do it._

Techno was hesitant to approach Wilbur, but he knew the voices were right. He’d been waiting for a moment like this since the day he joined them. It was time to act.

“Wil.” Techno hadn’t called him that in years. The phrase caused the man to shoot up from where he was absently counting food stocks, mind reeling with old memories. It was so foreign, hearing that name come from his old friend again. Techno blurted out as he interjected himself into the situation. “Something’s wrong.”

Wilbur stared at him, unsure of how to respond to the truthful statement. Something was definitely wrong, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to tell Techno. The lack of clarity was crippling though, and he let slide the thoughts that had simmered in his brain.

“Tubbo told me Niki was let out of jail,” he whispered. Techno tried to comprehend why that was a bad thing as he stepped closer. “ _Eret_ let her out, Techno. Do you know about Eret?”

Techno nodded. “I do. He betrayed you and joined Essempee.”

Wilbur swallowed hard, rubbing his eyes. “Yes. He’s a traitor, and a liar, and a heartless bastard. But you know what’s the worst part? The worst part is, Niki _trusts him_. Tubbo does too. He told me he was going to see them. He told me that Niki was living with him in Essempee.”

Techno could see Wilbur devolving as each word left his mouth, but he did nothing to stop it.

“Niki and Tubbo are with Eret in Essempee. My two most trusted allies are siding with the traitor! They forgave him for everything! All the bloodshed that was caused by his selfish actions, the loss we suffered at the hands of the oppressors in Essempee, they just – forgave them.” Wilbur fell back against the stone wall, letting out a single breathy laugh. “They aren’t on our side Techno. No one is anymore. Anyone that was close to us, they’ve all turned. As soon as they realized we’re on the losing side they left us for the next best thing.”

The words echoed in the empty cavern, said with so much conviction that they had to be true. Wilbur was distraught, finally accepting the thoughts he had tried to reject all morning. They had been abandoned, and right now the only person he could trust was the man he’d doubted for over a decade.

“That’s the inevitability of power Wilbur. No good can come from it, no matter how pure the intentions are.”

Wilbur looked up, eyes blood shot and mouth slightly agape. “I started this for them. Everything I’ve sacrificed was for the people that tossed me aside – the people I thought cared about me.”

“Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?”

Wilbur froze. Words replayed in his mind, ones from long ago.

_Two fifteen year old boys stood in a dark room. It was midnight, one feared for their life and one feared for their future. “I did this for my mother! For us! And you turn around and stab me in the back? You we’re the only person I had left Wil.”_

“This.. this is different. We were children back then, and you were wrong,” Wilbur stuttered out.

“Is this different? What is really the root of the problem here? Because it’s not Schlatt, it’s not Eret, it’s not you or me or Tommy. It’s power. It always has been.”

_Wilbur backed away, praying that the teen in front of him wouldn’t use the sword he was clinging onto. “You can’t solve an issue with violence! You can’t resort to lawbreaking to fix a broken system.”_

_Techno stepped in closer, seething at the words of his best friend. “You can’t fix a corrupt system at all! They took everything, and they’ll keep abusing their power until someone steps in and stops them.”_

Wilbur squeezed the side of his head, as though it would make the horrible memories fade away. He didn’t want to think back to the night. He’d forgotten it for a reason.

“I forgave you, but I didn’t change my beliefs.” Techno’s voice softened, but was still strong. “Nothing good can come from government. It doesn’t matter where you start, you’ll keep reaching for more and more. You’ll never get what you want, and before you ever feel satisfied, you fall. Power brings out the worst in people, it makes them turn on the ones they cared about most.”

_Tears fell down the cheeks of both boys as they stood face to face for the last time. Wilbur was almost certain that Techno would commit one last deadly act of rebellion before fleeing into the world beyond._

_“I’m sorry. I – I just wanted to do what was right,” Wilbur’s heart ached. He wanted to change it all, but he couldn’t reverse the actions they’d taken. The die had been cast, and now they had to face the repercussions. Techno wavered for a moment before decidedly lowering his sword, reaching out his free hand._

_“If you want to do what’s right, then help me escape. You were the one who turned me in, you should be the one to get me out.”_

_Wilbur shook his head, looking out to the night sky and the fields beyond the row of cottages. “I can’t. You.. I just can’t. What you did was wrong, and I have to stand by my morals.”_

_Techno clenched his jaw, raising his sword in one swift motion to Wilbur’s throat. His breaths were heavy in pain, at the loss of both his friend and his old life. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to harm the person he loved most. Techno backed away, voice still shaking with anger as he left Wilbur for the last time._

_“Then you can fall with the rest of them.”_

Wilbur didn’t realize he was crying until Techno’s voice brought him out of the unearthed memory. “What you had is gone. Nothing ever stays, especially if it’s a good thing.”

The words sank in, and for the first time the negative sentiment felt comforting. Wilbur had spent so long convincing himself that he could get it all back, but things would never be the same. Maybe it was better to just let go of that false hope once and for all. He wanted to, yet something was still there keeping him from truly letting go.

“You came back. After everything I did to you, you ended up at my side anyways.”

Techno had no reply. Wilbur was right, but that wasn't something he wanted to admit. So instead he simply turned and left his friend with nothing but a uncertain nod, retreating like it was all he knew how to do.

“All I’m saying is we shouldn’t be so lenient on letting people from Manberg back into Essempee.”

“You seemed more than glad to welcome Schlatt in! Why are you getting defensive now?”

“Because Schlatt wasn’t the one who started a revolution and subsequent war against us!”

Dream was standing rigid, arms crossed and face stone as George argued against him. The general was adamant, and nothing Dream could sway would change his distrust for the opposing country. Letting Niki seek refuge in L’Manberg was a controversial choice, and letting Tubbo visit without restrictions only furthered the disagreement in Essempee’s officials. Dream knew those three weren’t a threat; they were all on the same side, they all were supporting Wilbur and Tommy. However, George, Sapnap, and the other generals didn’t know that. Dream hadn’t said a word about his aid to their supposed enemies, and he intended to keep it that way. His men and his citizen all supported Schlatt for the sole reason that he overthrew Wilbur’s governing. If they knew their king was secretly aiding them in taking down Schlatt, there would be a mutiny on his hands.

“Tubbo is in Schlatt’s cabinet, he’s not a threat to us. Not to mention that he wasn’t the one who started the war, he only followed Wilbur’s orders,” Dream countered. George scoffed.

“Tubbo will blindly obey whatever authority figure falls in front of him, which could be worse than if he actually thought for himself.”

“It doesn’t matter either way. Eret’s on our side. If he trusts them then I do to.”

“Really? Niki publicly defamed Schlatt and was _arrested_ for helping Wilbur and Tommy. If Eret’s on our side than why is he teaming with someone like that?” George threw his hands up as he asked, trying to get Dream to see the fallacy of his statement. Dream sucked in a breath, trying to cover for that fact with the first thing he could think.

“She was acting irrationally, she didn’t realize what she was doing. Niki isn’t a threat, she’s just a girl who let her emotions control her.” He absolutely didn’t believe the words he was saying, but he had to convince George not to worry about her involvement with the exiled men. The general huffed out a breath, still not thrilled about the situation. Dream straightened up, moving to sit back

George still didn’t move, staring at Dream as though it would make the king change his mind. Dream sighed, rubbing his forehead.

“I’ll station some guards around Eret’s home to make sure he isn’t out of line. Would that make you feel better?” He compromised.

“It’s the least you can do,” George replied with an icy tone. Dream hated it, and the last thing he wanted was to drive a wedge between himself and his officials at a time like this.

“George – ” Dream called before his friend could storm out of the room. “Let’s have a meeting tomorrow evening, get Sapnap and Punz and we can talk everything through together.”

The man untensed his shoulders, body going slack ever so slightly as he nodded in agreement.

As soon as the latch on the door shut Dream let his head fall into his hands with a groan. He had to get control of the situation before it boiled over. As much as he wanted Schlatt taken down, his own country’s wellbeing was much more important. He’d already given Tommy and Wilbur the tools they needed, it was out of his hands now. They could manage on their own. From there on out he wouldn’t meddle in any more Manberg business. Niki was staying with Eret, which was fine for now; he could talk his officials into allowing that to continue. He may have to restrict Tubbo’s visitation privileges in exchange, or at least tell him to only come around in secrecy.

Dream couldn’t have his foot in both camps without creating conflict, and if that meant withdrawing his involvement with Manberg then so be it. All he had to do now was relay that choice onto Eret.

Niki and Eret were in the middle of making dinner when they heard the knock on the front door. They both froze, Eret giving her a silent nod of reassurance as he went to see who had come to visit. They’d had a bad history of unexpected guests, and Niki could feel the anxiety welling up as she moved further into the corner of the kitchen. Eret opened the door just enough to see who it was, his whole body visibly relaxing when he recognized the face.

“Dream.” He was surprised to see the king on his porch, he rarely made trips out like this. Dream gave a single nod and a half smile.

“I’m not interrupting anything am I?” He asked. Eret shook his head.

“No, we were just finishing dinner. Would you like to join us?”

“I won’t be here long. I just wanted to discuss a few things.” Eret ushered him in, swiftly closing and locking the door behind them. Niki gave a small smile as the two entered the kitchen, still feeling uncomfortable in Dream’s presence. All the events of their past conflict still sat heavy in her mind, and it would take a while for her to completely forgive him for all the acts he’d taken against their people. Still, he had been nothing but friendly the past months, and she owed it to him to at least try.

“Hello Niki. How are you?” he asked, a hint of awkwardness in his voice.

“Good. I never had the chance to thank you in person, so.. thank you.” Both stood still, not knowing what to say. They were neither friends nor enemies, a relationship that had seemed all too common nowadays.

Thankfully Eret jumped into the conversation, prompting Dream to explain the nature of his visit. The king nodded, shifting his weight as glanced between the two refuged citizens.

“I wanted to update you on my involvement in everything happening in L’Manberg. I feel I’ve been very upfront from the beginning about my motives. My actions are based purely off keeping Essempee safe, and I felt like Schlatt was a threat to my nation as well as yours.” The other two nodded, he continued. “Recently some of my officials have been wary of my involvement with you three – meaning you two and Tubbo. They don’t particularly trust you at the moment and they’re starting to question the decisions I’ve made.”

“I don’t want to create more conflict, if we need to leave Essempee – “ Eret began, but Dream was quick to shut him down.

“I’m not kicking either of you out. I can convince them that you aren’t a threat. However, if I keep making rulings in support of L’Manberg I’m only going to draw more attention to the fact that I’m against Schlatt. If I want to keep the peace in my own country, I have to appear indifferent towards him at the least. I can’t keep siding with you, at least not publicly.”

Niki and Eret gave somber nods, understanding the circumstances.

“What about Tubbo?” Niki asked.

“I’ll have to restrict his visitation rights, or tell him he can only come in secret.” Dream tried to ignore how her face fell at the answer. “I know it’s no ideal but..”

“It’s alright. Whatever it takes to win.” Eret gently grabbed her hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

“Not to pile even more on, but I told George I’d station guards near your home to make sure you weren’t up to anything. Just know that I’m not actually doubtful of you, it’s only for show,” Dream added. “Don’t do anything to stir the pot, and we’ll be fine. The sooner we can move past this the better, then we can get back our own countries again.”

Niki wasn’t taking the news as well as Eret, at least from what they were showing outwardly. Dream gave one final nod goodbye before turning and leaving as soon as he’d arrived. He sighed to himself, standing for a moment on Eret’s porch. This was such a mess. He almost longed to go back when things were simpler, at least during the rebellion and the war he knew what side he stood on.

The sound of the door opening again drew the king’s attention back, and he turned to see Eret with a piece of paper slightly extended.

“I know this may not be the best timing, but I think this is for you.” Dream gently grabbed the folded paper, opening it to see sloppy handwriting sprawled crookedly down the page.

“I didn’t read it, but I’m fairly certain it’s from Tommy. I found it outside the ravine the last time I dropped off food.” Eret furthered. Dream nodded wordlessly, stuffing the note away in his jacket without reading it. He wasn’t sure he wanted to yet.

“Thanks Eret. And thank you for trusting me. I’m sure that’s not an easy thing to do right now.”

Eret shrugged, nearly smiling. “I’m just doing what I can to right the wrongs from the past.”

Dream didn’t pull the note out again until he was alone in his room, sitting atop the perfectly made bed sheets. He sank down, nervous to read the message. He wasn’t sure why; maybe he didn’t want to make any more connections to the exiled teen, and he knew that the contents would hinder that attempted distancing. Still, he knew it would eat at him if he didn’t, so he pushed aside his hesitations and opened the weathered letter.

_Hey._

_This letter is for my secret ally. I won’t say who you are because you told me not to. If this isn’t meant for you then quit reading it dickhead._

_I don’t know if you’ll ever see this.. I guess I just needed to write this to feel better. Things haven’t exactly been going well down here. Being trapped in a cave for months plotting revenge isn’t good for your health. Go figure. It seems like I don’t really have friends here anymore. Wilbur isn’t the person he used to be. Technoblade is basically a stranger. Tubbo hardly comes to meet us and I don’t want to be around the others two, so I spend a lot of time alone. I feel like I can’t really rely on anyone around me. You’re the only adult who’s acted like a friend recently, so I wanted to thank you. I know you don’t think of me as a friend but it feels like you’re the only other person I can depend on right now. My brains gone all crazy and shit, you can’t blame me for feeling like I do. I guess that’s all._

_Thanks for not killing me any of those times._

_Tommy_

Dream laughed morbidly to himself as he finished reading it. Of course Eret would give him this now, when he’d decided to definitively disconnect himself from Tommy and the others. The universe just couldn’t make this easy on him.

It didn’t matter what Tommy had written, Dream had no obligation to the teen. At least that’s what he told himself. He ignored the slight ache in his heart at the thought of the boy being alone down there. Tommy was strong, he could get through it. This wasn’t his problem to deal with, he had bigger things on his hands.

So Dream folded the letter up and tucked it away in his bedside drawer, leaving it unanswered as he tried to get himself to sleep.

“Wilbur!” Tubbo’s voice came echoing through Pogtopia without any notice, and all three of the inhabitants reached for their weapons at the unannounced intrusion. “Tommy! Techno!”

The boy’s face was red and his breaths were long, indicating his rush to get there. Tommy jumped forward, grabbing Tubbo’s shoulders and looking him over for any signs of harm.

“What’s happening? Are you okay?” He asked.

“I’m fine, but I don’t have long. Schlatt’s making an announcement tonight, he just told the cabinet about it this morning. I don’t know what he’s going to do, but the way he described it, I think it may be something big,” Tubbo explained between labored pants. Wilbur stepped forward, edging Tommy out of the way.

“Do you thing he’s going to try and harm L’Manberg? Has he hinted at anything along those lines?” Wilbur questioned. Tubbo shrugged.

“Not that I know of. Things seemed to be going well in his favor, I don’t know why he’d try and do anything to mess that up now.”

“Unless his end goal was to destroy the nation, not rule it.” The thought sent a shiver down Tommy’s spine, and he immediately piped in.

“We need to go and make sure everything’s alright.”

Wilbur didn’t even turn to look at the teen, instead moving to grab his own supplies. “Techno and I will go, you’ll stay here.”

“No! I –”

“Tommy Innit, don’t start with me.” Wilbur pointed an aggressive finger at him, as though commanding a dog to sit. “We don’t need a replay of the other day. You’re staying.”

“Maybe Tommy should go with you Wilbur.” Techno’s interjection was unexpected, Wilbur’s pensive stare melted. He gave him an odd look, trying to get Techno to explain why.

“Wil, please. Just let me go. I can’t just sit around and wait for something terrible to happen.”

Techno nodded. “I think it’ll be best if I stay back. Let Tommy go and prove his intentions.”

Tubbo had instructed them to be there around seven and Wilbur had been meticulously checking his pocket watch for the past few hours. They set out half an hour before the scheduled time, the entire walk to their old nation was silent. Tommy had nothing to say to his mentor, and Wilbur was too preoccupied in his own thoughts to berate the boy even more than he already had.

They’d almost forgotten that the wall was gone, and as they neared the outskirts of town they had to remain as stealthy as possible. Their coats were buttoned tight around their faces and their hats were pulled down low, obscuring themselves as much as possible without being suspicious. They didn’t plan to come into contact with anyone, but they had to be prepared for any scenario.

Tommy clutched his bow and arrow close from within his jacket. The weapon gave him a sense of protection, despite knowing he only had three arrows to go with it. Wilbur didn’t seem as scared as Tommy was of being back in their country after so long. If anything, he looked sad. It had all changed so much, it really was like L’Manberg was gone.

As they moved deeper into Manberg territory they made sure each building they were nearing was empty. It was only ten minutes until seven, so most people had already left their homes to gather in the square. A lightless house indicated a safe place to take cover, so they stuck close to the vacant structures. They eventually made it close enough into the heart of town that they could hear people moving about. Once he knew the coast was clear, Wilbur ushered Tommy into the empty merchant’s shop. He grabbed onto Tommy’s arm, leaning in close to whisper demands.

“When we get there, you don’t do anything other than listen. You don’t say a word, you don’t move a muscle unless Schlatt tries to pull something. Understand?”

Tommy ripped his arm from Wilbur’s grip, shaking his coat sleeve back into a comfortable position. “I’m not going to listen to you if you keep giving me orders like I’m stupid. Talk to me like we’re a team, because we are.”

Wilbur tried to calm himself, but he was too fed up with the whole situation to worry about Tommy’s ego. “We can have this conversation later. Let’s get to the top of the church, we don’t have time for this.”

“You have time to apologize for treating me like a child.” Tommy stood his ground, his voice slightly raising from a whisper. “All you’ve done is put me down and – and I won’t follow someone who’s going to treat me like shit!”

Wilbur heard the subtle sound of conversation coming towards them, and immediately his attention shifted. “Tommy shut it.”

“No! If we’re going to take down Schlatt then we –” Wilbur’s was sure the voices were coming even closer, and his hand flew over the boy’s mouth as he pulled him deeper into the shadows of the shop. Tommy struggled out muffled sounds for a moment, Wilbur gripped his hand even harder and motioned outside. Luckily he realized before he could let on their location. The two were frozen in their spot as they saw the outlines of Quackity and Fundy – unmistakable from their voices – walk past the window. The dying sunlight cast long shadows into the building as they moved by without stopping, deep in a conversation that neither Tommy or Wilbur bothered to tune in to.

Once the coast was clear yet again Wilbur dropped his hand and let Tommy stumble away, both letting out the breaths they were holding in. Wilbur was starting to regret listening to Techno, longing to have his other ally at his side instead. He shot Tommy one last warning glare.

“Careless talk costs lives Tommy.” He shoved him forward, this time Tommy didn’t protest. “Let’s get this over with before you get us both killed.”


	14. The Villain in Your History

Tommy sat silently next to Wilbur on the top of the church. The boy still hadn’t let go of his frustration with his mentor, but after his outburst almost got them caught he resigned to keeping it bottled up. He was sure it wouldn’t go away on its own, and he needed to take charge and work through the conflict’s that had been sparked after their exile. Maybe he could get Techno to act as a mediator. A neutral presence could quell both Wilbur and Tommy’s fire.

Wilbur had been quick to move on from the events from the past few minutes, focusing instead on the scene in the town square below. A new stage had been constructed, or at least expanded on, and everyone from the cabinet was sitting patiently behind the podium. Fundy and Quackity were leaning close and talking in hushed voices, perhaps finishing whatever discussion Wilbur had overheard earlier. Tubbo didn’t seem to be paying attention to them, glancing around as inconspicuously as possible to spot any sign of his secret allies. Several familiar faces filled the crowd as well, some friendly and some unwelcome. Eret stood near the back of the crowd, but Niki was nowhere in sight. He felt his hands tighten into a fist as he stared at the traitor, red seemed to flood his vision as he thought about what was happening to _his Niki_ in Essempee. It took all his strength not to let that consume him though, and he shifted his focus to the nervous energy radiating from the crowd. 

It seemed like everyone was gathering for the last minute speech. Wilbur had rarely seen so much buzz amongst his people when he was in office; then again, he rarely made public announcements like this. Schlatt clearly liked to flex his position of power, and commanding L’Manberg to bend to his will was proof of that. Wilbur scoffed internally, seeing right through the ploy. Would the people truly ever look up to him because he was an authority? Even if he was elected, surely the people would have been scared of him for his aggression and oppression of rights. Sure, Wilbur himself had been put in power, but he had never acted as a tyrant like Schlatt - had he?

Tommy shifted nervously as Schlatt emerged from behind the stand and moved to take center stage. The teens pent up anxiety caught Wil’s attention, and he briefly looked over to him to take in his demeanor. Despite both of them being hidden as they squatted behind the low walls of the church tower, Tommy still felt exposed. Wilbur had chosen the spot because he knew they would be concealed while still having the vantage point to see and hear everything happening below them. It wasn’t like anyone in the crowd was paying attention to the buildings around them anyway, they were focused on whatever Schlatt had in store.

Nevertheless Tommy still held tight to his bow. The last time they’d been this close to a crowd, a mob had tried to kill them. Returning to an all too similar situation had spiked those traumatic memories. Wilbur felt Tommy’s hand gently touch his knee, the boy didn’t even seem to realize his actions. Despite his current resentment to the older man, Tommy still clung to him as a calming presence. In a moment like this, one so charged with anxiety and risk, Tommy’s subconscious forgot about any conflict and reverted back to being that same child who relied on him so many years ago. Wilbur didn’t say anything, allowing the boy to keep his hand there as long as he needed to. 

A hush fell over the crowd as Schlatt stood tall in front of his people. Tubbo was leaning far forward, anxiously shaking his leg as he waited for the President to begin his speech. Schlatt looked uncharacteristically relaxed, approachable and friendly. If you wouldn’t have known him, you’d likely trust him off his demeanor alone. 

“I want to thank you all for coming here tonight. With this being a last minute speech, I was certain not many would make it but.. I mean look at this. Seeing everyone here, showing me support.” Schlatt smiled, glancing down to his podium before looking longingly over the people. “I got up on the right side of the bed this morning. I rolled out of bed and I said to myself: you know what? Today I'm going to do something that people will remember, something that people will appreciate.”

Wilbur felt his insides twist. He wasn’t sure if it was fear of what Schlatt was planning, or confusion over the sincerity of his declaration. 

“We’ve made this country beautiful, an example of what this nation could be with the right people at its head. I want to honor the work of my cabinet, and the work of the people, with the first ever Manberg festival.”

Tubbo’s head shot up, clearly surprised. It was the last thing he’d expected to hear; each time Schlatt had stood here it came with a devastating proclamation, but this was far from disastrous. In fact, it actually sparked a bit of excitement in the teen.

A murmur of intrigue rippled as Schlatt carried on. “The festival is going to be a celebration of the democracy that put me in power, that evicted – and I don’t say this lightly – the _dictator_ that was here before me. You, the people who voted me into office, let Manberg live up to its fullest potential. I reckon it's time to celebrate that. We’ll get everybody down, from all corners of the continent, to share in the festivities. We are a nation that welcomes all, even those living beyond the safety of society, and together we can enjoy Manberg’s independence. I mean, look at that flag. A true symbol of freedom and prosperity.”

Tommy felt himself shake in anger at the words. How dare he call Wilbur a dictator. It was hypocrisy, as he stood on that podium and touted democracy and justice when he had so blatantly abused L’Manberg. The teen wasn’t thinking when he brought his bow up, and only once his hand went to grab an arrow did he realize the power he held. From where he was he had a clear shot at Schlatt. One well-placed arrow would be enough to rid the country of his rule once and for all. 

Wilbur didn’t notice Tommy pull back the bow, and only realized the boy’s intent when he heard him take an uneven sigh. The noise drew the older man’s attention, and he stared at the attempt of assassination as his mind grappled with the ramifications of Tommy releasing the string.

“I want to drive home the idea that this celebration will be about Manberg.”

It seemed like a last moment decision, but it really wasn’t. Wilbur’s hand flew to Tommy’s arm, lowering the weapon down forcefully. This wasn’t the way things would end. Wilbur had known that the whole time, though only now was it clear. 

“A celebration of democracy, of law, and of the new era of peace that has been brought forth by my administration.” 

Tommy looked up at his mentor, ready to protest and fire the arrow anyway, but the stern look on Wilbur’s face deterred him. He had no idea why Wil would try and stop him. This had been what they were waiting for, they had been building up to the moment when they could take down Schlatt once and for all.

“In two weeks, on November 16th, we will hold a festival right here in Manberg. And Tubbo - get up here.” Schlatt gestured to his side with a smile, one that no longer made the teen afraid. He’d almost forgotten the last time those words were said to him as he rose without hesitation. Schlatt put an arm around his shoulder, giving him the faintest squeeze. “This kid has done so much for our nation. I think it’s only fair that we kick it off with a speech from our Secretary of State.”

Tubbo was beaming. Despite being a spy, he was still working for the better of L’Manberg. He had put in hours of labor to improve his country, it didn’t really matter who was at the head during it. Public recognition wasn’t something he’d ever received, and seeing the gratitude of the people at the work he’d done fulfilled him like nothing else.

Wilbur was empty as he watched Tubbo and Schlatt exchange proud smiles between each other. That kind of emotion couldn’t be faked, it was clear that their spy wanted to be at the dictator’s side. He was enjoying the power and recognition under Schlatt’s administration. Wilbur grabbed Tommy and pulled him away from the edge of the tower. They needed to get out before the crowd dispersed. Neither said a word as they weaved through the city and back into the woods beyond, each digesting the events they’d witnessed. It wasn’t until they were well out of L’Manberg that Tommy finally spoke up.

“Wilbur, I could have taken my shot.”

The older man stopped, not turning to face the younger. It was all so clear now, and Wilbur wondered how Tommy didn’t see it. The announcement of the festival was the missing piece that set his mind straight, and it was all too obvious what their world had come to.

“Killing Schlatt wouldn’t do anything. Killing Schlatt wouldn’t fix a single issue.” Wilbur turned his head to look over his shoulder, walking forward once again. “If Schlatt died then Quackity would just become president - and who knows if that would be worse. If you had fired that arrow we’d both be dead, and the country would still be under the same government. It means nothing.”

Tommy had to increase his pace to keep up with Wilbur, but he had no response to his reasoning. He was right, but there was something about his tone that put Tommy on edge. It was almost apathetic.

The next time they stopped it was Wilbur who caused it. The two had just reached the entrance to the mines, and as Wilbur stared into the darkened staircase he recalled the same awful memories he always did. He recalled Eret, Dream and his men, the loss and suffering. He recalled the villains. 

“I’ve got a question for you. Because this festival.. this is a good idea. This doesn't seem like a bad thing, it doesn't seem evil. It seems like a nice, friendly thing Schlatt’s doing.” Wilbur was nearly smiling at the words, he turned to face his right hand man with a resoluteness he hadn’t exuded in weeks.

“Tommy, are we the bad guys?”

The boy was stunned. His immediate thought was ‘no’. In what world were they the bad guys? Tommy wanted to say that, he wanted to so surely declare that they weren’t but he couldn’t seem to make a sound.

“Because, at the start of this all we just made ourselves the leaders. Then later we had a vote, and Schlatt won in a completely legal election, and now we're trying to overthrow him. It feels like we're the bad guys Tommy. This doesn't feel correct.”

Wilbur looked into the depths of the mine one last time. There was only one more question he needed to ask, one he’d already known the answer of.

“Tommy, am I a villain?”

“No.” This time the boy was sure. He was sure because if Wilbur was the villain, then that made him a villain too.

“Why not?” Wilbur challenged.

Tommy stuttered over his words, trying to decide on what to say in his defense. “Because we started L’Manberg and we should have won that vote.”

“But the people decided we shouldn't have.” Tommy’s shoulders slumped and Wil lit the lantern hanging at the entrance. He descended, the teen following instinctually. Wilbur spoke as they made their way down, his truth echoing in the space. “Our cockiness, our arrogance got ahead of us and we allowed Schlatt to run. We believed we couldn’t lose. Maybe Schlatt was right, maybe he is better for L’Manberg, and we’re the dictators trying to overthrow them. I think we're the bad guys, but Tommy - ”

They’d made it to the bottom now, the atmosphere matching the ominous shift Wilbur had taken over a matter of hours. He was calm now, speaking softer than he ever had while saying words with such heavy connotations.

“Okay, me and you, we both agree we're right? We’re in the right here, aren’t we?”

“I mean, yeah. I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t think it was right.”

Wilbur smiled, reaching out and grabbing Tommy, pulling him in.

“Then let's be the bad guys.” 

Wilbur was reveling in this delusion, and Tommy was terrified. This wasn’t Wilbur, this wasn’t the man who fought for their freedom and justice, this was an empty shell where he once was. The teen shook his head, retreating down the tunnel and back towards Pogtopia. “No, Wil..”

“Why not? Why not Tommy?” Wilbur followed him as he sped off, not wanting to listen to what his mentor was saying. “Look, our nation's gone. Our nation’s far behind us Tommy. It’s all gone and we’re not going to get our L’Manberg back. So let’s just destroy it. Let's burn it to the ground!” 

Technoblade heard those last few words emanate from the tunnel, and he immediately perked up from his spot on his perch. They were back, and it was clear something had gone down. He leaned down to see Tommy shaking his head as he came into view, hurt written all over his face. 

“Wilbur you’re not thinking straight –” 

“Tommy I say if we can’t have Manberg, no one, no one can have Manberg!” The power in Wilbur’s voice was enough to tell both men everything. This hadn’t been a spur of the moment thought, it wasn’t an impulsive decree. This had been brewing in the pits of Wilbur’s mind for weeks, and finally his insanity had broken through and infected him.

“I see this is a new era. We burn the place to the ground, we wipe away any memory of the country that once stood in that place. I want the entire place destroyed. I want it all gone.” Techno silently climbed down, coming up from behind Tommy as Wilbur let out his dark proposition. “Tommy, let's be villains.” 

Nothing about this felt right. The boy was overwhelmed, completely blindsided by Wilbur’s mental break. Even Techno was concerned at how quickly the man had concluded that ruination was the only possible solution to Schlatt’s reign. Tommy backpedaled, nearly bumping into Techno with a start. He could have sworn the boy was shaking. 

“Can I have a minute to think.. I'm just - I just - ”

“Think about what? You've had a minute – you've had days, you've had weeks, you've had months, to think about what we should do. We lost the election more than a month ago Tommy!” Wilbur followed him relentlessly, tone only rising in aggression. 

“Wilbur I need – you’re not – you’re just not thinking straight.”

Tommy ran deeper, further, desperate to get away. He didn’t want this to be happening. Wilbur was all he had left, and he’d been losing him for weeks. There was no one else to look to, no one else to follow. Tommy didn’t want to abandon him, but he couldn’t agree to the crazed ravings he was trying to push. 

“Don’t you get it? No one’s against Schlatt. Everyone's pulling the biggest ruse on us, they've got us by the fucking scruff of our necks,” Wilbur continued shouting, though not really to anyone in . “It’s all bullshit! Fundy turned on us the moment Schlatt got into power. Eret’s trying to make us believe that he’s on our side, and Niki’s buying into his double-faced narrative. All Dream wants is for both us and Manberg to fall. The only reason that he’s working with us is because we are the enemies of his enemies.”

Tommy tried to tune him out, but Wilbur’s words broke through his mental barriers. “Can’t you see Tommy, everyone who's claiming to be on our side, there lying to us! Tubbo, he's lying to you! You saw the way he looked at Schlatt, you saw how happy he was to be there. He would drop us at the second he realizes we were always destined to lose - ”

“No - No! Stop it!” Tommy felt tears of anger push into his eyes as he got up to stand face to face with Wilbur. The ex-president finally fell silent, letting the younger boy speak. “You’re saying everyone’s against us, that's just not true. You can’t start thinking like this. It's not too far gone. There's a reason that I was willing to give up my life, the reason that we fought against the odds for L’Manberg. Nothing’s lost, we can restore it, we can build it back to its former glory. You don't have to just decide it is over now.”

“What's the point? What's the point in rebuilding this entire place from scratch? You know how much blood was shed to get L’Manberg to the point it was at. Do you know what would happen if we managed to get it back? More blood would be shed, and we would be the illegitimate rulers of a nation that abandoned us.” 

“The reason we made L’Manberg in the first place was to get away from the exact oppression Schlatt is enacting right now! The reason we went through the bloodshed and the pain was because we needed L’Manberg.. and if there isn't L’Manberg, then what's the point?” Tommy fell silent, and for a moment Techno could see a semblance of sanity resurface in Wil. For just a split second that caring and just leader came back, but it didn’t stay long. 

Wilbur shook his head, breathing out huffs of air as he started pacing up and down next to the teen. “I know why you're doing this Tommy. I know, I see it in your eyes and I can hear it in your voice. Tommy Innit, you’re scared. You're scared that people are going to think differently of you.”

Tommy felt small as Wilbur threw those words so carelessly around, laughing as he stepped up and spoke mere inches from his ear. “Tommy when I said you're never going to be president, you’ve got to understand that wasn't a challenge. That's true. You're never going to be President Tommy.”

Tommy thought hearing it that first time would have hurt the most, when his father figure had scorned him and rashly declared his inadequacy. Yet this was worse, because now there was no doubt that Wilbur really meant what he was saying. 

“We're fucked. We were fucked the minute we were thrown out, because Schlatt knows. He's a smart man, he knows that if we fight him – even if we beat him – we've lost. If he fights us and kills us, we’ve lost. There's no in between. He knows we’ll never get back what we once had, but you know what? In a time like this, when a man has nothing to lose, you know what that means?”

“What does that mean?” Tommy’s voice was nothing more than a broken whimper.

“It means we can do whatever we want. We can destroy L’Manberg and everyone in it, we can end it all!”

“Wilbur stop!” Tommy didn’t know where he found the strength, but he wouldn’t stand by and allow Wilbur to spiral down any further. “You're going insane! A week ago you told me I was being reckless, well now it’s you. You’re the one being reckless. You're not being the man that came in as president. This isn't the right thing to do, this isn't the moral thing to do. What's the point in doing anything if you've lost all hope? You've got to stay with it, you've got to pull yourself together. Please.” 

Wilbur just laughed, hunching over and walking away from their heated discussion. Techno glanced nervously between them both, knowing neither was going to bend. It was an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. Tommy wasn’t budging. 

“Wil, I said from the beginning, I wouldn’t – look at me – I said from the beginning that it was you and me. Whatever it takes to get back L’Manberg, I’ll follow you, but this isn’t the right way to do it.” Tommy meant that, and it was the last word he’d say on the matter. He couldn’t turn around and abandon Wilbur, not after everything they’d been through. Wil took a long look at him, nodding and speaking simply.

“Nothing will help us get it back, I'm aware of that. But sometimes in order to feel comfortable and safe you have to be ready to give up the things that you're worried you might lose.”

Neither said a word after that. It was an unspoken conclusion, though not a resolution. The future of L’Manberg held in the balance, and Tommy was terrified. He wished more than ever he could run off and find comfort with Tubbo or Niki or anyone else, but he was stranded with the madman and the stranger. 

Wilbur had never been as calm as he was that night. He watched the flames dance and eat at the wood of the firepit. No more anxious movements or mutterings. The man had found peace in his violent revelation. 

Techno took a seat opposite of him, joining him to stare into the fire too. A part of him felt like he needed to say something, but he didn’t know what. This was what he’d wanted, wasn’t it? For Wilbur to abandon hope of regaining his nation, and help Techno dismantle the systems that had proven so damaging. Yeah, he did want that. This wasn’t what he’d intended, maybe this was a step further than he’d anticipated, but the job would be done regardless. He began to wonder how much of Wilbur’s break down was inevitable, and how much of it was caused by him.

“Tommy will understand. He’s going to take the time to understand. We’ve had our differences recently, but I know he’ll be a good right hand man. He’ll come around,” Wilbur stated. Techno nodded blankly, though he wasn’t so sure. 

“Is this really what you want Wil?” Techno asked softly. The man opposite of him smiled.

“It is. For the first time since we’ve been thrown out, I’m happy Techno.” Wilbur looked up, and Techno couldn’t see any light in the man's eyes. “This was always meant to be.”

The news of the festival was confusing and worrisome to Niki. It sounded so innocent but she knew it wasn’t. There was no way this could be taken at face value, there had to be a reason for inviting everyone into Manberg for an event. It was terrifying to think of what Schlatt could do with so much power in his hands, the worst case scenarios had been playing on loop in her mind all night. 

Eret had fallen asleep soon after coming back from the announcement, and he advised her to do the same. He didn’t give many details, but alluded to the fact that they needed to start preparing for whatever lay ahead. However she couldn’t find any rest amongst the turmoil in her mind. It went beyond the uncertainty of the festival too. She missed Wilbur so much. The longer she spent in Essempee, the more it hurt being away from him. There was nothing she could do but hope he was okay, leaving the vicinity of Eret’s home had been practically forbidden by Dream. As much as it hurt, it did make her want to work even harder to fight against Schlatt. As soon as this was over she could get back Wilbur and Tommy, and everything would be okay. 

Niki knew she would never be able to sleep unless she got her thoughts out of her head. She rolled out of bed and lit the candle that was sitting on her bedside table. She moved carefully through the room and into the hall, thankful that the floorboards weren't as creaky as the buildings in L’Manberg. She walked carefully past Eret's room, where she could hear him gently snoring, and found her way into the study. 

With a quill in hand she started writing. It had started as a letter to no one in particular, and without having a real purpose other than to get her thoughts on paper. She figured if nothing else it could be documentation of the world around them. If they did lose, if something happened and any memory of Wilbur and L’Manberg was forcibly erased, there would still be this letter. 

Niki had heard the saying before, ‘history is written by the victors’, but she decided she wouldn’t wait until one was declared to start composing the truth. 

_Dear friend, I hope this letter finds you well._

_By the time you find it I will likely be long gone. Don't worry, I will have gone doing what is good and true - but I am writing to you in hopes that you can bring the truth out to the people._

_L'Manberg lays in shambles. The election is over, and Schlatt has come to power. Our once beloved nation has turned into a nightmare on earth. He tore down our walls wanting to expand into enemy territory and took our name from us- renaming L'Manberg; Manberg. He has cast out Tommy.. and Wilbur.._

_Schlatt has taxed me, taken my belongings and thrown me into jail for not complying. I've managed to escape and I am safe for now, but there are people who want me dead and I don’t know what will happen when we fight back._

_There aren’t many people I can trust anymore. It feels like everyone has turned against me._

_Fundy has turned to Schlatt’s side. The man I trusted in being his running mate, the man I thought could bring peace to our nation, the man I went to war with... he burned my flag, our symbol- and rebuilt it in the new nation's name. Now I know that he only wanted power._

_But I will not stand- and I will not fall for a selfish leader who doesn't care about his people, who can only see revenge and hatred, and who will do anything just to stay in power. I will not stand and I will not fall for a nation that forgot where they came from. I will not stand and I will not fall for the tyrannist that has taken everything I love. All I know is that Schlatt is putting way too much on his plate, and it is time that someone takes it from him._

_Schlatt has planned a festival and he has invited the citizens of Essempee, L'Manberg, and everyone in between. I don't know what he is trying to achieve. Friend, I need your help. I need you to be the messenger in case something goes wrong. And if anything happens to me, you will have to tell the people what I cannot. I am counting on you. We are trying to come up with a plan, we will do everything we can to right the wrongs Schlatt has caused._

_I have been emotional before and I know that when I am angry, no one is too strong to get in my way. Please remember that I have gotten everything taken away from me._

_And you know what they say about a woman that has nothing to lose._

_Friend, I am counting on you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wilbur's finally gone insane. Come get y'all fix.
> 
> This is mainly taken directly from the streams, but the original events were near perfect and I needed to keep them as they were. Also hearing Word's text to speech robot read Wilbur's monologues was so funny, I'd highly recommend it.


	15. Wait for It

It was raining outside that morning. It was a cold and dreary day, and Tommy sat near the ravine entrance listening to the patter of raindrops. If he was in L’Manberg he wouldn’t have cared. He probably would have gone to find Tubbo and pulled him out into the rain to splash him with the muddy puddles. They’d run around and laugh and get scolded by Niki or Wilbur about how they’d catch a cold. So they’d change into dry clothes and sit around the fireplace drinking whatever tea Niki had that particular day, and they would talk. Tommy would feel drops of rain water falling from his soaked hair onto his blanket. He’d be happy.

He couldn’t do any of that though. There was no tea or change of clothes. There were no friends to have friendly conversation with. Tommy had nothing. 

The echoes of Wilbur and Techno’s plans to decimate Manberg were barely audible from up the steps, which was fine. Tommy didn’t want to be a part of their schemes. A piece of him didn’t want to be with them at all. He wondered what would happen if he turned himself in to Schlatt. Maybe if he gave up and pleaded his life would be spared, they might only throw him in jail. Maybe he could beg for forgiveness and try to convince Schlatt to just let him be with his friends again. Or he could just run away all together. Tubbo would come with him if he asked, surely. 

But if he left there would be no one there to try and talk some sense into Wilbur. The man would only devolve even deeper into his insanity, doing more damage, if that was even possible. Tommy wasn’t used to being the responsible one. It was never his job, and now his only current solution was to ignore it until he couldn’t any longer. 

When he did reenter the ravine he noticed dozens of papers scattered about the floor as the two older men spoke of battle plans. Tommy’s ears perked up when he heard the word explosion. 

“What are you doing?” Tommy demanded, earning the attention of both of them.

“We’ve figured out how to destroy L’Manberg,” Wilbur replied happily, as though he didn’t realize how upset Tommy was.

“What do you mean? Techno, what’s going on?” Tommy anxiously shifted closer, trying to look at the diagrams and scribblings.

“We’re going to plant TNT all over the city. Wilbur’s going to detonate it at the festival.”

Tommy let his mouth hang open, at a loss for words. Blow up L’Manberg? No, no he couldn’t. That would destroy everything, it would hurt so many people. It was insane. 

“You can’t do that Wil! You just can’t!” He started snatching up the papers, crinkling them and throwing them in the fire pit. Wilbur stood up and grabbed Tommy’s arm, shoving him away from doing any more damage.

“This needs to happen Tommy! This is the only way to destroy it once and for all.” Wilbur explained. 

“We don’t have to destroy it! We don’t have to blow it up!” 

“Yes we do. You don’t see it yet, but we do.” 

Tommy looked to Techno for some kind of help, but was given nothing. It was clear that the warrior was in support of this whole situation. The teen gave him an angry glare, swiveling back to Wilbur with fire in his voice. “You’re acting exactly like Dream! You hated him because he attacked us and destroyed what we’d built. Now you’re no better than he was. Do you remember how hard it was to rebuild L’Manberg after those explosions?”

“That’s the thing Tommy, we aren’t going to rebuild. I’ve said this over and over again, I want it gone. L’Manberg would be better off a tragic footnote than to carry on any further. Besides, what Dream did was child’s play. This is going to be so much bigger.” 

Tommy could argue and oppose Wilbur all he wanted, but nothing would change his mind. He didn’t like standing by watching, but he felt completely helpless. 

“Just come look at what Techno’s planned out. Come on.” Wilbur grabbed the boys hand, dragging him over to the papers that hadn’t been burned. “It’s brilliant, really. We know Dream has all the materials we need to make the explosives, and we’re fairly certain we know where they’re stored. All it takes is a few trips and a good amount of sneaking, and we can slowly smuggle out everything we need.” 

It was true, it was all laid out in their plans. They had noted exactly what they’d need and how they could get it, and with Techno’s skills and stealth it seemed almost too easy. This was serious. 

“That’s not the best part though, come look.” Tommy felt dazed as Wilbur pulled a set of metal and flint out from one of their crates, holding it carefully up for the boy to see. It looked like any other flint and steel, only it was connected with extra metal and wood bits. 

“What is that?” Tommy breathed out, and he heard Techno shuffle behind him.

“It’s how we light the TNT. The way Dream set it up, with all the strings and connections, it’s far less efficient. All you need to do is detonate one explosive, and the others will follow,” He explained as he joined them in studying the contraption. 

“We place it on the wall underneath the podium, where it’s hidden. When I push this button,” Wilbur pressed the rectangular wooden piece, “It hits the flint against the steel, which will activate the fuse, and give us just long enough to get out before it blows up the whole place.” 

Techno nodded along, and Tommy felt sick. It was all so elaborate, so thought out. This was wrong, and he didn’t know how either of them didn’t see how twisted this was. 

“I can’t do this.” Tommy threw his hands to his side, running to grab his coat. He didn’t care if it was raining, he couldn’t stay cooped up in the cave with them anymore. “You’ve gone insane Wilbur. I’m not doing this.”

No one stopped him as he ran out into the downpour. It didn’t matter anyway, the image of that button still burned in his mind even after he was far away from Pogtopia. That one contraption, the small chunk of wood, would be the thing to wipe out everything they’d spent their lives fighting for. 

Each day following the festival’s announcement was spent working on the decorations and activities for the big day. The cabinet, as well as volunteers from the city, were putting in plenty of hours to make the event something special. Despite the rain that had been carrying on throughout the morning there were still a decent amount of people in the square. Coats were buttoned tight and hats were pulled low to keep as dry as possible, nothing was going to stop the festival.

Schlatt had approached Tubbo immediately following the announcement to ask him to take charge of planning the event. The teen was truly honored, and he was excited at the prospect of doing something new and great for L’Manberg. It hadn’t really crossed his mind that it wasn’t _technically_ L’Manberg anymore, the lines between the old and new nation starting to blur for the Secretary of State. It was becoming more and more comfortable being in Schlatt’s administration. The President had slowly transitioned from a domineering rule to delegating tasks and authority more freely. Tubbo still held strong in his allegiance to Wilbur and Tommy, and he knew the goal was to get power back into their hands, but Manberg seemed to be doing alright in the meantime. There wasn’t an immediate threat to the people there, and Schlatt seemed to have loosened the reins on his punishments and control. Tubbo didn’t feel at risk in Manberg anymore, and he wanted to use his opportunity to create a wonderful festival for everyone to enjoy.

Quackity was carting banners bearing their flag’s design into the town square when he saw Schlatt observing the progress and commending the workers. The vice president handed off the supplies and jogged up to meet with the leader.

“Schlatt!” The president turned to his old friend, greeting him with a smile.

“Quackity, things are looking good!” 

The man nodded happily, surveying the work as well. “If you have a minute, could we chat? I’ve got a few ideas I want to run by you.”

The two moved to a more secluded spot on the stage. They could still watch the commotion in the square below as they sat on the edge of the platform, legs dangling over the edge. The cover over the stand gave them shelter from the rain, and the sound of water hitting wood provided a serene backdrop. Schlatt leaned back to prop himself on his arms, motioning for Quackity to speak.

“What’s been on your mind?”

“I was just thinking, maybe we use the festival as a way to establish positive relations with Dream and Essempee. We could have a stand designated especially for the important diplomats or something.” Quackity suggested. “I mean, we’ve made Manberg something great, I think it’s time we start looking outward for other ways to strengthen our nation.”

Schlatt nodded indifferently. “If you want to set something up, feel free.”

“You don’t seem too thrilled with the idea,” Quackity noted, “We don’t have to do that, I was just thinking –”

“No, I appreciate the initiative. I’ve just got plenty of other things on my mind.” Schlatt gave Quackity a pat on the back. “You know what Alex, yeah. Go ahead and take the lead on that.”

The vice president nodded, a thank you for the go ahead.

“I mean, this is a celebration of Manberg, we might as well show off our power to the government next door,” Schlatt added. “Put together some fancy snacks and shit, you have my approval. And whatever you end up doing, invite that Eret guy up there too. He intrigues me.”

“Will do.” He agreed.

They both sat for a bit, Quackity swinging his legs and hitting the sideboards of the stage with gentle thuds. This was the first time in a while that the two had been together without the need to discuss anything government related. Ever since things started ramping up they’d put their personal relationship on the back burner. Alex missed being able to just talk with his friend. 

“How have you been doing?” Quackity asked, his tone more casual.

“Great, everything with the festival is going smoothly,” he replied.

“I’m not asking President Schlatt, I’m asking _Schlatt_.”

He let out a sigh and relaxed his shoulders as he absentmindedly dropped his bureaucratic persona. 

“Yeah, I’m doing good.” There was a hint of fatigue in Schlatt’s voice. “It’s just been go go go since day one, you know? And there’s still so much I have to do.”

“Well, that’s why you have us. I ran with you because I wanted to do something special, and you’ve given me that chance,” Quackity said.

Schlatt raised his hand to rub the back of his neck. “I sort of thought it would be easier. I figured the election was going to be the hardest part. But now that I’m here there are people who hate me and people who love me. There are people who pretend to love me when they actually hate me. The hardest part is knowing who to trust.”

Quackity had rarely heard genuine sentiments from his friend, so that admission hit him hard. He hadn’t thought about the toll the authority would take on Schlatt, but it made sense. So much had changed over a matter of months, it was a miracle Schlatt hadn’t dropped dead from the amount of stress and pressure he was under. 

“Do you trust me?” 

Schlatt looked over to his Vice President with a faint smile, nodding his head slowly but confidently. “I do. It’s been you and me for the worst of it, I know you’re not going to turn on me now.”

Quackity nodded, his own expression turning to joy. “All I’ve wanted was to make something great. Manberg can and will be a place for anyone who needs a safe haven. That’s what it’s always been about.”

Schlatt didn’t answer right away, and he never got the chance to as a group of people approached Quackity to ask him a question related to the festival. Schlatt straightened up, smoothing his coat jacket and resuming his presidential stance. The group quickly moved off to attend to their project, Schlatt gave Quackity a friendly pat on the knee.

“Let’s get back to work, I want this place looking the best it can when the sixteenth rolls around.” Quackity stood in agreement, giving him a nod goodbye as he hopped down to the ground. 

“Oh, Alex, when you’re setting up the VIP booth, make sure you have room for an extra person up there. I anticipate a special guest will show up,” Schlatt stated slyly. Quackity raised an eyebrow.

“Who would that be?”

Schlatt chuckled, leaning forward to put his elbows on his thighs. “The details don’t exactly matter, but let’s just say I have it on good authority that an old acquaintance will be in attendance. I’m sure you’ll recognize him, it’ll be a fun surprise for you too.”

“Okay,” Quackity agreed blindly, “And Wilbur and Tommy? Do you think they’d try and sneak in?”

Schlatt smirked, cocking his head to the side to look to his vice president. “They can do whatever they want. Nothing’s going to ruin my plans for this festival.”

From across the courtyard Fundy was nailing together planks of wood beside Tubbo, both working silently on a booth for one of the festival’s games. Ever since the election the two’s relationship had become much more tense. Their closeness had dissipated and distance grew between them when Fundy took Schlatt’s side so quickly. Only recently had they been able to put aside their differences and regain some closeness. They were the only two remaining members who’d fought in L’Manberg’s war, and that had kept them connected. It was important that they not let that fade, especially for Tubbo.

“That’s looking good so far!” the teen complimented, Fundy briefly looked up with a thankful smile.

“Yours too. I’m excited to see it all come together.” Tubbo nodded.

“Same.”

The teen watched for a bit longer, neglecting his own work to try and figure out how to breach a topic he’d wanted to discuss with him for a while now. The banishment of Tommy and Wilbur, though months ago, was still ever present in everyone’s minds. Tubbo didn’t want to believe that Fundy was happy or content with their friends' suffering, but up until now he hadn’t heard the Secretary Treasury mention anything about his feelings on it. 

“Fundy.. Can I ask you something?” He finally mustered the courage to break the barriers of the taboo subject.

“Yeah, sure.” Fundy looked a bit confused, likely at the shift in seriousness of the teen’s tone. Tubbo shifted, glancing over to see that Schlatt and Quackity had begun to move from their seated position on the stage. 

“Do you miss Wilbur and Tommy?”

Fundy tensed, eyes moving to Tubbo’s briefly before continuing to focus on the nail half sticking out of the plank. “I suppose. I try not to think about it.”

“Why not?” Tubbo braved, probing deeper.

“It’s just..” Fundy set the hammer down, looking over to Schlatt as he chewed on the inside of his lip. “We’ve done really good things here, things I don’t think could have happened with Wilbur still in charge. Schlatt gave me the chance to prove myself. He saw my potential to do amazing things, and I’m so grateful for that.”

Tubbo nodded slowly, staring blankly as he listened to the older man speak. 

“It’s not that I don’t miss the others. I do. And I don’t agree with what Schlatt did to the others, but there’s nothing we can do to change what happened.” Fundy’s guilt was gnawing at his heart, and he didn’t want to think about the topic any more than he already had. There was a reason he purposefully avoided any conversation revolving around his old friends, because he knew that what happened wasn’t right. Banishing Tommy and Wilbur, arresting Niki, even his treatment of Tubbo at the beginning of the presidency, it was wrong. Fundy couldn’t help but feel compliant in watching it all happen, he’d been in Schlatt’s cabinet for months and never once tried to open up Schlatt to the idea of lessening the punishment against his once close companions. 

But then again, neither had Tubbo. Fundy wondered if the boy felt just as guilty as he did, and that was why he brought it up in the first place. Tommy was his best friend; it must have been even harder for Tubbo to break away from his past loyalties and follow Schlatt. 

“Does it hurt, thinking about them?” Fundy asked once he realized how silent Tubbo had been. The teen raised his head quickly, as though Fundy had interrupted his thoughts.

“Yeah of course. It feels like I’ve been torn in two this whole time..”

Quackity had just finished giving instructions to a group of volunteers when he happened to overhear that statement being shared between the other cabinet members. Whatever was being discussed was none of his business, but he silently listened in as he pretended to be examining the papers in his hand. 

“This has been hard for all of us. I mean Tommy, he’s just..” Tubbo stopped himself before he said anything further, forgetting for a moment that Fundy didn’t know about his role as an inside man. 

“It’s okay to miss him.” Fundy comforted.

Tubbo tried to smile and wrap up the subject they were discussing. “Maybe once the tensions settle we can reconcile with them. We’ve made some amends with Dream, surely we could do the same with Wilbur and Tommy.”

“Maybe Tubbo.” Fundy looked up at just the right moment to lock eyes with Quackity, both immediately glancing back to their respective tasks as though neither saw each other. Tubbo didn’t seem to notice, and as soon as Fundy carried on building the booth he did the same. Quackity was quick to take a mental note of what he heard, and by the time Fundy looked up again to see if he was still there, the square was void of any sign of the Vice President.

“Can we talk Tommy?”

The question came without any warning, and the teen jolted as he saw Techno come into view from up the steps. The older man looked slightly uncomfortable as he approached, holding his cloak limply in his hand. Tommy was dripping wet from the time he’d spent outside, and he’d only retreated back into the entrance of the ravine when the cold became too much to deal with. He was trying not to shiver as his damp coat and hair stuck to his skin. The last thing Tommy wanted was to look pitiful.

“I don’t want to talk to you.” He stated, shifting from where he was sitting against the wall so he was faced away from Techno. The older man felt his fist clench around his cloak, frustrated at the immediate rejection. 

_He told you he doesn’t want to talk to you. Leave him._

Techno wanted to be mad at Tommy because that was the easiest option. He could ignore him and work with Wilbur and leave once L’Manberg was gone. 

_Forget about him. Tommy’s not important. He doesn’t matter._

But Techno didn’t leave. He heard the voices begging him to abandon the loose end, but he didn’t. This was the last thing he needed, trying to console the teen was useless to Techno’s objective. That didn’t matter though, because _Tommy_ needed someone to be there for him. 

Against all the protesting in his head he kneeled down next to the boy anyway. Techno sighed, closing his eyes shut and willing his mind to be clear. There was too much trying to block out what he had to admit, no matter how much it went against his promise to himself.

He cared about Wilbur, and he cared about Tommy. 

All of a sudden the voices were gone, and he felt tranquil. He’d spent months denying himself any connection to his temporary allies, and finally accepting it lifted a burden off his heart that he didn’t realize was there. 

“You don’t have to talk to me, but at least listen to what I’m saying,” Techno compromised, settling in a few feet away from him. He toyed with the fabric in his hands, running his fingers over the worn cloth. “I know you’re worried about Wilbur. He’s gone off his rocker, but he’s still there. It’s still Wilbur.”

Tommy didn’t flinch. He didn’t believe that. 

“This whole plan.. It’s not what I envisioned happening. This was never what I wanted, but I’m not the one in charge here. I said I was here to take down Schlatt, and that’s what I’ll do.” Techno looked at Tommy for any sort of reaction, but got none. Speaking the truth wouldn’t do anything to rest the boy’s mind, Techno should have known that from the beginning. He didn’t want to lie to him, but a bending of the truth might be the only thing to pull the kid back from the resignation he was feeling.

“Tommy, I’m only going along with these plans to keep Wilbur in one piece. If both of us went against him he’d only sink deeper into whatever psychotic break he’s going through,” Techno stated, not entirely a lie.

“By helping him blow up L’Manberg?” Tommy finally replied, voice hoarse.

“By rigging it with explosives. Having that trap set is enough to give us the upper hand we’ve been looking for, but I never agreed to help him detonate them.” Techno tried to keep his face resolute as Tommy reluctantly turned to him.

“You’re not doing anything to stop him though. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t the one to do it, if that button is there then he will press it. You’re only making it easier for him,” he shot back.

Techno started to reply, but stopped himself. This wasn’t supposed to be a yelling match, he had to bring the tensions down. “Wil’s in a bad place right now. You’re right, if he could push that button tonight, he would. But we still have two weeks until the festival starts. That may be enough time for him to realize the consequences this will have.”

Tommy settled a bit, listening silently as Techno continued. “Maybe seeing all that TNT will give him perspective. Maybe planting it in his home country will make him feel guilty enough to come back around.”

“What if it doesn’t? What if seeing it only makes him want it more?” Tommy countered. 

“We don’t really have an alternative,” Techno admitted. “Like I said, us both trying to stop him will only make it worse. He thinks everyone has turned on him. If we did the same he’d have no one. He’d have nothing left.”

That struck a chord in Tommy. It all came around, and he finally started to lean into Techno’s justifications. It didn’t make it any easier to accept the plan currently underway, and it still didn’t mean that he was going to support it. Maybe if he could be there for Wilbur that would be enough to help him heal.

“He still cares about you, you know that right?” Techno asked. Tommy’s eyes flicked up, then back at the ground as his face fell without a reply. 

Techno took a deep breath, feeling better about having said that. Even if Tommy didn’t believe him, at least he did what he could to help ease his mind. Someone had to look after the two broken refugees, because God knew they weren’t able to do it themselves.

“You’re going to get sick if you leave that jacket on.” Tommy looked up to Techno through the tangled mess of hair that hung in his face, almost feeling warmer just at those familiar words. Techno stood, moving to help Tommy on his feet and out of the soaked clothes. 

Tommy didn’t object, taking off the wooly coat and tossing it to the side. The cold air hit him through his shirt, the biting chill only lasting for a moment before Techno draped his cloak over Tommy’s shoulders. The boy grabbed the ends, pulling the borrowed clothes tight against him. He tried not to smile, but Techno saw.

“Come down whenever you’re ready. I’ll have a fire going.” With a parting pat on the shoulder Techno left him on his own again. Tommy leaned his head into the fabric of Techno’s cloak, closing his eyes and imaging that they were okay. He knew they weren’t, but he could pretend.

Even though Techno’s discussion eased him off the edge, he still was far from content with the plans Wilbur wanted to enact. Tommy wanted to believe that his mentor would come back around to sanity, but he wasn’t sure that would happen any time soon. The pain seemed deep rooted, something neither Tommy or Techno would be able to fix before a disaster struck L’Manberg. All Tommy knew for sure was that this wasn’t something he could fix on his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got to write more Fundy and Quackity! Yay!
> 
> One of the biggest bummers about writing out fics based on the SMP is that I don't get to go into every character's development as much as I want to. Those two have a lot more depth, but because there are more "important" characters to focus I can't go into them as much. When I first drafted the outline for this fic it was much longer, because I had sections in each chapter dedicated to people we don't see as often like Fundy, Quackity, George, and Sapnap. I ended up cutting a lot out because I knew it would be too much writing to commit to, and I didn't want to plan for something I couldn't finish. It feels nice to spice it up and look at someone other than Wilbur and Tommy, despite how much I love their arcs.


	16. The Eye of the Hurricane

_The cavern was empty. Wilbur and Technoblade were nowhere, there wasn’t a trace of them. Tommy was alone, and it was dark. There was no fire going to light his view, no lanterns burning down the last bits of their oil. Tommy fumbled blindly along the ground, only relying on muscle memory to locate some way of seeing in the pitch black cave._

_When his hands finally found the cool glass of an unused lantern he held it close, clinging to it like it was the only thing keeping him alive. His shaking hands could barely light the fuse, but once the wick took the flame he could see everything._

_Horror. Pure horror filled the boy as he let out a shrill wail. Wall to wall – floor to ceiling – every inch of space in that cave was covered in buttons._

_In his panic he let the lantern clatter to the floor, but the drop wasn’t enough to put out it’s illumination. Tommy hysterically scrambled backwards from his seated position, and as he did he felt the rough wood of more buttons make contact with his hands. He heard the clicks of the mechanisms, each simple sound dropping his heart in terror._

_He tried to stand, he had to escape, but each movement only set off more of the deadly contraptions. Tommy seized as each step set off more and more. The uneven floor caused him to trip, forcing him to grab the wall for stability. A panicked scream burst out as he felt the shift of the buttons beneath his palms, more clicks that echoed off the walls and into his skull._

_Click. Click. Click. Click._

_Tommy fell to the floor, and despite the fact that he was perfectly still in a crumpled ball he heard the sounds growing faster and faster, like imaginary forces were pressing every single button at once._

_Click. Click. Click click. Click click click click click CLICK CLICK –_

Tommy Innit screamed when he woke up, but no one was there to comfort him.

The teen frantically felt around for something to grab onto – more specifically, someone. Tubbo had always slept mere feet away from him. After the war they’d both been plagued by nightmares, and every time they would be there to soothe each other. There was no Tubbo though. No one came to his side.

He must not have been loud enough to wake up the others, who were both sleeping on the opposite side of the cavern. The boy wanted to hear footsteps of a concerned friend approaching, but there was only silence. Wilbur used to be a light sleeper. Tommy wasn’t sure when that changed. Maybe the endless hours spent plotting each night had finally caught up to him, or maybe he was ignoring the sound of alarm on purpose.

It took a while for Tommy’s breaths to even out. He used his bandana to wipe his sweat soaked forehead, clenching and unclenching his fists to steady himself. His heart never stopped racing though, because he knew the nightmare only bled over into real life.

Sitting in the middle of their cavern was a mass of supplies needed for the explosives. True to his word, Techno had gotten the gunpowder they needed, and everything was piled up and organized for the long days of crafting. It haunted Tommy, and even though he couldn’t see it now he knew it was there. Wilbur had already started on his process of creating the TNT, the festival a little over a week away and still so much to do. After each day of working, Techno and Wilbur would sneak into Manberg in the dead of night, hiding the explosives bit by bit as not to draw suspicion. This had been going on for three days, and Wilbur showed no signs of stopping. By every indication, the exiled president would actually push that button, he’d actually blow up L’Manberg. Tommy couldn’t take it anymore.

Tubbo hadn’t come to see them since the announcement, Techno was only enabling Wilbur’s maniacal actions, and Tommy was powerless. This had to be stopped, but the teen knew there was no hope of bringing Wilbur off the edge on his own. He needed help, and he needed it now.

Dream was a light sleeper, which was why he heard the pounding on his front door through his slumbering state. He thought he was imagining it at first, but after it persisted he begrudgingly pulled himself out of bed and threw on his robe. There would be hell to pay for the guard that let one of his friends past the gate at such an ungodly hour. The banging didn’t stop until Dream made it to the front door, yanking it open and getting ready to yell at whoever was barging in so early.

When he saw Tommy, panicked and unsteady, his face fell to confused anger. Before the boy could speak Dream grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and shoved him inside the house.

“What the fuck are you doing? I told you I don’t want anyone to know about our arrangement!” Dream growled out, “Someone could have seen you! How did you even get past the guards?”

“I climbed the fence, never mind that. I know what you told me and I’m sorry but this is important. I need your help.” Dream rubbed the remnants of sleep from his face, trying to control his anger with the teen. He failed to notice the tears brimming in Tommy’s eyes.

“I told you I’m not getting involved with Schlatt anymore than I already have. People are going to be awake soon, you need to leave before someone finds you.” Dream began pushing the boy towards the back door, but Tommy pulled away with desperate defiance.

“It’s not Schlatt, it’s Wilbur.” The king looked at him with a furrowed brow, now finally realizing the extent of his anguish. He was puffy eyed and red, his mouth held an ever present frown. There was something missing too, something Dream both despised and admired about the boy; Tommy’s hope was gone.

The teen let out a shaky breath, and he finally released the bottled up truth about his mentor. “He’s lost it Dream. Wilbur’s become the villain.”

Dream had never set foot the ravine that had been dubbed Pogtopia, but when he did, things all started to make sense. The cavern was not a place to call home in the least; it was cold and dark, there was an unnerving atmosphere that filled whoever was unfortunate enough to be trapped inside it. Being cooped up there for months would have driven even the strongest person to insanity.

Tommy was hesitant as he stepped into Pogtopia, and despite having the combat-skilled ally at his side he still felt far from safe. He kept throwing nervous glances to Dream, who gave him reassuring nods in return. It was disheartening to see Tommy act this way towards Wilbur. Even if Dream didn’t personally care for the ex-president, he knew how much he’d meant to Tommy. Wilbur had practically raised him. He was the one who instilled confidence in Tommy, who was there to guide him along each turn life took. When Tommy was exiled, Wilbur was all Tommy had, and now he was slipping away. There was no other older figure for the teen to look up to either; everyone had either turned their back or cast him aside. It was pitifully ironic that Dream was the only one Tommy felt he could go to. 

Despite it being so early in the morning, Wilbur was awake. The brown trench coat was easily discernible from where he stood facing away from them, and Tommy felt his heart drop when he fully understood what he was about to do; any outcome would be ugly, but forcing Wil to surrender was Tommy’s last option.

As the two approached the mound of explosive materials, Dream felt a chill go up his spine. Everything Tommy had told him was now confirmed, and it was worse than the king had pictured. This would be enough to obliterate the entire nation, leaving nothing but a smoking crater in its wake.

Wilbur heard the sound of footsteps slowly walking towards him, he barely looked up from his work as he acknowledged who he thought was there.

“Sleep well Tommy?” He asked, voice devoid of any sincerity. 

The boy swallowed hard with a quick glance to Dream. The older man answered his silent plea for help by responding for him. “Wilbur, we need to talk.”

Hearing Dream’s voice sent a wave of alarm through Wilbur, one of the only people who could invoke that emotion. He hid it well as he spun to meet him.

“Surprising seeing you here,” Wilbur commented, eyeing him and Tommy suspiciously. Something was going on, that much was obvious. Dream had been adamant about staying out of their affairs, yet here he was, standing next to Tommy like a parent sheltering their child.

“That doesn’t belong to you.” Dream motioned towards the gunpowder, and Wilbur cracked a goading smile. 

“What, are you gonna take it from me?” He questioned. The king shifted annoyedly. He wasn’t going to go down this route, Wilbur was only deflecting the inevitable. He knew why Dream was there, and he was determined not to let the old enemy ruin his plans now. 

“Why are you doing this?” Even though Dream already knew the answer from what Tommy had told him, he wanted to hear it from the source. Wilbur sighed out, purposefully loud, and abandoned his explosives to move closer to Tommy and Dream. 

“Come on now Dream, we don’t need to waste time with this conversation.” Wilbur caught the confused look on the king's face and scoffed. “What, do you think I’m an idiot? I know this is what you wanted all along.”

“You’re not an idiot, but this isn’t what I wanted,” Dream stated definitively.

“Of course it is! L’Manberg has always been your enemy, you want it gone! Once you realized that it split itself into two warring factions, you sided with the underdogs to fuel the fire. It’s always been about causing the most damage possible.” Wilbur spoke confidently as he moved his arms for emphasis. “Dream, you want Manberg and Pogtopia to be nothing more.”

“You’re right, I do want Manberg and Pogtopia to be nothing more, because I want _L’Manberg_.” 

“Are you just saying this for Tommy? Because you don’t need to lie to him, he’s a big kid.” Wilbur shifted his attention to the teen. “Do you really believe him Tommy? You think _he_ is the one you can depend on? Have you forgotten that just a year ago he held a sword to your throat, that he shot you down without an ounce of remorse. This is the man who spent years persecuting you when you were no more than a child. And now you think you can trust him because he gave you a fucking crossbow and his word?”

Tommy was left speechless. Wilbur was right in a way – Dream had been his enemy for as long as he could remember. What had changed in the last year to seemingly erase those memories? 

“It doesn’t matter if Tommy trusts me or not, I’m here because I can’t let you do this. You can spout whatever bullshit you want, but I’m not trying to create conflict between you and Schlatt,” Dream stepped forward, pulling Wilbur’s attention off of Tommy. “I want Schlatt gone, not L’Manberg. The only reason I’m aiding you is to keep Essempee safe, and this is going to put everyone in danger.”

“You’re a hypocrite,” Wilbur spat back, the disdain for Dream bleeding into his tone.

“Maybe I am. But I’m sensible enough to admit when I’m wrong.” Dream took a heavy breath, turning his head slightly to Tommy. “I was wrong to fight against you. I was wrong to think L’Manberg was a threat. I thought you were motivated by power and greed, I was too blinded by my own fears to recognize the damage I’d done. But people can change and learn from their mistakes.”

Wilbur didn’t say anything, he just let his pensive stare melt away into an empty smile. An awful smile, an insane one just like all the rest. “None of that matters anymore. It’s all broken now, there’s no going back.”

“That’s not true,” Tommy whispered. “Why won’t you just listen to me? We can build back L’Manberg, it can be what it once was.”

Wilbur shook his head as he turned around, waving his hand as though to shoo them away. “I’m done here. Dream, you know where the door is.” 

“No,” Tommy refused, this time louder. “No, this ends today.”

Wil clenched his jaw, staring down with closed eyes before facing the defiant teen. “Tommy, you’re not going to side with Dream. _Everyone_ around you is against us. Everyone but me. I’m not letting you walk into the arms of an enemy.”

Dream knew he couldn’t make this choice for Tommy. He could tell how torn the boy was, wanting to both please his friend and put an end to the plot. However, it wasn’t long before the boy reached a conclusion. With shaking hands, Tommy stepped forward to do what was truly right, no matter how hard it was. 

“Wilbur, hand over the TNT.” 

Wil looked from Dream to Tommy, nearly laughing through his dumbfounded expression. After everything he’d done for the kid, after raising him and forming him into the man he was today, he was really going to throw that away and side with the oppressor? 

It was a knee-jerk reaction when Wilbur pulled his sword from his belt, taking a stance against Tommy with the weapon held tight in his grip. The boy flinched away with fear in his eyes. Never in his worst nightmares did he think he would be here, with Wilbur one swing away from striking him down. 

Before the distressed boy could mutter out a helpless, _‘Wil?’_ , Dream stepped between the victim and the threat with his crossbow aimed at Wilbur’s chest. His face was stone, hiding the anger he felt towards the abhorrent action the ex-president was taking against the boy. His words, though seemingly unassertive, were spoken with ferocity. 

“I’m going to have to step in.”

This wasn’t Wilbur. The man standing at the end of his crossbow was a stranger, one that was unhinged and dangerous. This was no longer conflict between two warring factions over a political position, the situation had entirely shifted. Suddenly the greatest threat to L’Manberg wasn’t Schlatt, it was Wilbur.

“Then so am I.” 

All three spun their heads towards the fourth voice, seeing Technoblade emerge from the shadows of the cave with his own sword in hand. He remained to the right of Dream, keeping his weapon raised and ready to strike at a moment’s notice. 

Dream knew he couldn’t take on both Techno and Wilbur even if he’d wanted to, and the last thing they needed was to incite more violence. He’d come to put an end to Wilbur’s plot of destruction, but it wasn’t something he was going to risk both his and Tommy’s life for. Dream lowered his crossbow and took a step back towards Tommy. Wilbur yielded as well, face cracking for the briefest moment as he realized what he’d just done. It wasn’t enough to make him holster his weapon or break the steely face he was maintaining though. Tommy couldn’t focus on anything but the dead-eyed stare of his mentor, almost failing to notice the protective hand Dream placed on his sternum.

“Tommy..” Dream addressed him, causing the teen to finally break his gaze and turn to look at him. It was clear how hurt and lost he was. Dream should have known that this was inevitable, that the stress of exile and abandonment would drive one of them to turn into a dark version of themselves. More specifically, he should have known that Tommy was never safe with Wilbur leading the charge against Manberg.

Everything in Dream’s rational mind told him this wasn’t his place to intercede. He’d already tried to step in, and that backfired. He’d told Tommy he wasn’t going to get directly involved, he tried to remove himself from the turmoil between the factions. Dream wasn’t a player in the conflict unless he chose to be, and up until this point he’d done everything possible to keep it that way.

But there comes a time when a person’s heart speaks louder than their mind.

“Tommy, you can leave and come with me. I’ll keep you safe in Essempee.”

The offer was met with stunned reactions from all three members of Pogtopia. Tommy felt himself seize up, stunned by the unexpected offer. He could be free of exile, free of the stress that came with each minute of every day. Dream was powerful, and Tommy knew that there was safety at his side. That was why he had gone to him in the first place. But he had never imagined having to pick between Dream and Wilbur – a regretful enemy and a father figure. Tommy’s brain told him the choice was obvious, but it never clarified which side the obvious choice was. Should he blindly trust the man who’d once tried to kill him, or blindly trust the man who wanted to destroy his world now?

“I can’t,” He whimpered, barely audible. “I can’t leave Wilbur.”

The decision made Wilbur let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Both him and Techno felt relief, but neither did anything to indicate that. 

Tommy stepped away from Dream and towards his allies. “What you’re doing isn’t right, but I’m not going to betray you Wil. I’m going to stay by your side.”

Dream didn’t feel hurt over the rejection, but he did feel worried. It made sense why the boy would want to stay by Wilbur’s side despite everything, and he could only hope that the man still had enough sanity left to spare Tommy from any more pain. 

He couldn’t do anything more in that situation, so he tried to silently slip away. Wilbur sent him with one last message before he could go. “Dream.. when Tubbo starts giving his speech you may want to leave, because that’s when I’m going to detonate the whole place.”

Dream’s gaze shifted down, thankful for the warning but not willing to show his gratitude. He looked up only long enough to catch the teen’s gaze. “Goodbye Tommy.”

Then he was gone, and the three remaining members of Pogtopia were back where they started. Only this time relationships were more strained than before. Tommy looked to Wilbur, no intent of hiding the discontent he was feeling. The ex-president only saw a rebelling teenager, one that could be brought around with just enough convincing. The fact that he was still there had to mean he knew Wilbur was right, or so the man told himself. 

Wilbur gently extended his arms for a hug as Tommy walked past, but the teen twisted his whole body to avoid the touch. He may have been staying for Wilbur, but this wasn’t him. The man building explosives and drawing a weapon against him wasn’t Wilbur. When the man he knew came back, then Tommy would embrace him and never let go, but he wasn’t going to give that love to the empty shell of a friend. 

“Damn it..” The wooden sword fell to the dirt with an earthy thud, far from the reach of the now defenseless girl.

“Focus Niki. Pay attention to my movements, not yours,” Eret spoke softly as he retrieved the training weapon and placed it back into her hand.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” She huffed. Eret laughed a little, trying to ease her growing frustration.

“The first step is protecting yourself from attacks. You’re just a beginner, it’s not likely that you’ll manage to land a hit against a skilled fighter. You need to pay attention to what your opponent is doing so you can counter it.” He took up a defensive stance, motioning for her to do the same. “Be calm and confident. You’ve got this.”

The two had been practicing with bows and swords all morning, the empty fields beyond Essempee providing a quiet place for the them to work. Eret had been adamant about teaching Niki how to hold her own in combat, considering the danger that Schlatt posed. There wasn’t enough time for her to master anything, but having basic training could be the difference between life and death.

Niki had done her best to absorb the instructions her friend was giving, but she still failed to last longer than a few minutes against him. Each round ended with her weapon flung from her hand or a wooden blade poked into her. She was starting to get tired, and the constant failure wasn’t helping her motivation.

“Can’t I just stick with a bow and arrow? I’m much better with that than a sword,” Niki plopped to the ground when she once again failed to last against Eret’s advances. The trainer joined her, placing his own wooden sword to the side.

“I’m more than happy to have you stay back and use projectiles, but it’s important that you have melee skills as well. You won’t always be able to avoid being up close to your enemy, and the last thing I want is for you to be unprepared.” He stated. “You’re doing good, this is only the third day we’ve been out.”

Niki played with the cuffed bottoms on her pants, ones that used to belong to Eret before she took in the waist and shortened them to fit her. “I haven’t won against you once.”

“And you probably won’t,” He replied honestly. “I’m not going easy on you, because the person you’re fighting won’t either. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m a really good swordsman. You’re kind of going up against the best.”

She couldn’t help but smile and give Eret a gentle shove at his playful bragging. He chuckled as well, getting to his feet and helping her do the same. “Let’s take things up a notch.”

Eret crossed over to where their bags were, grabbing two iron swords and examining them. Niki was confused when he extended one to her.

“I’m not ready for a real sword yet,” she protested, shying away from the weapon.

“You need to get used to a metal one, it’s going to handle differently than wood,” he reasoned. The girl was still unsure, but took it anyway. The weight took a moment to get used to, and she carefully swung it back and forth.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” she said, concerned.

“You won’t. And I won’t hurt you either, I’ve got complete control. Remember, you’re not trying to hit me, you’re just defending against my movements.” Niki nodded, trying to calm her nerves as she readied the new weapon.

Eret began much lighter than normal, letting her get used to the weight of the sword in the first few hits. She seemed to be gaining confidence, and was intent on studying his every move. The increased risk involved with the upgraded sword may have been the push she needed to hone in on the fight, she was already holding herself better than the last few rounds. Eret cracked a smile as she successfully blocked a series of swipes, pushing his sword out to the side. Had she been more versed in the skill she could have used that split second to attack, but the girl readied herself in another defensive stance.

“Good!” Eret praised, coming back with another swing that was easily blocked. She managed to last a few more minutes, breaths becoming heavier as she fought back. Hairs had started falling from her low buns, though they didn’t deter her as they hung down her face.

A series of particularly well placed swings and Eret had Niki prone, the edge of his sword inches from her chest as an indicator that he’d won. She dropped her weapon, an innocent enough action as she accepted her defeat, but something about the movement triggered a buried memory in Eret’s mind. For a moment all he could see were his friends cornered in that cave, swords to their throats and looks of despair and betrayal filling their face. His friends, defeated and broken because of his actions, as they threw down their armor and weapons. Metal against stone, the pained words, he tried to block them out as he squeezed his eyes shut to will it all away.

When he opened them he saw Niki staring up, no hurt in her expression. In fact, she looked relieved, a smile showing between her reddened cheeks. Eret quickly drew back his sword, doing his best to mirror her expression.

“That was good Niki.” He turned quickly, not waiting to see if she caught on to his moment of pained regret. He hoped she was too caught up in the satisfaction of improving to notice, but she could see the shift in mood clear as day. She didn’t bring attention to it though, and Eret decided it was time to end their session. “I say we call it a day for now, there’s still plenty to do at home.”

Niki nodded, helping him gather up their bags and weapons as they began their trek back. They walked in silence for most of it, only once they could see the view of the city did Eret speak up. “If we get the chance, we take Schlatt down. We need to plan for every possible scenario. I can’t stand by and let my friends get hurt again.”

Eret slowed to a stop without noticing. Niki placed a hand on his.

“We will do whatever it takes. No one else is going to get hurt, I’ll make sure of it.” Eret nodded, pulling slightly away from her touch, as though he didn’t deserve it. “Eret?”

He looked down, eyes glassy. “Yeah?”

“They will forgive you. You’re not the monster you think you are, I promise.” Niki could tell the man didn’t know what to say in response, so instead she pulled him down into a hug. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, standing as tall as she could as he bent down to pull her close. It reminded her of how Wilbur hugged her, and she felt the absence in her heart grow even stronger. They had to do this, they had to bring back the people they loved.

“For L’Manberg,” she whispered.

“For L’Manberg.”

Above all the other stressors of the festival planning, Tubbo was the most anxious about his speech. At first he was honored at the gesture of opening the festival, until he realized how thin of a tightrope he’d have to walk while on the stage. He had to make it seem like he was giving a speech for Manberg, not L’Manberg. Schlatt trusted him, and as much as he wanted to speak from the heart about his nation, he knew it had to represent the ideals the president upheld.

That was what brought Tubbo into Schlatt’s office that evening. He wanted to run parts of the speech by the expectant president, and hopefully get some suggestions as well. A majority of it was already written, but there were still a few days before the festival and Tubbo was going to use each one to perfect the speech.

“Good afternoon.. thank you for coming.. Hopefully everyone got to win at least one of our booths today..” Tubbo skimmed through his writing, Schlatt nodding along and chuckling at the joke at the opening of the speech. “I never knew just how lucky I’d be.. something something..”

Tubbo trailed off, glancing up to the president. “It’s not finished yet, there are still some bits that need added.”

“It’s good so far, it’s just missing that.. Manberg flair.” Schlatt made a popping motion with his hand, looking over to his Secretary of State as he took a small sip of whiskey.

“Manberg flair?” Tubbo asked.

“Yeah, like.. a metaphor. All good speeches have metaphors.”

Tubbo settled into the chair across from Schlatt as he pondered that. The president kept nodding to himself, as though he was considering some himself. Tubbo nodded towards Schlatt, motioning for him to speak. “Go on then, let’s hear one.”

Schlatt chuckled, sitting up straighter and leaning over the desk. “You know, I like to think of Manberg as a head of lettuce.”

“Lettuce?” Tubbo giggled with raised eyebrows.

“Hear me out kid,” Schlatt held up his hands in a teasingly defensive manner, “Lettuce has layers, right? But the best stuff is on the inside, you have to get rid of the bugs on the outside to get to it. You have to put work in to get the best meal.”

“Hmm,” Tubbo hummed in consideration, realizing that Schlatt was referring to Wilbur and Tommy as the bugs. He did his best to agree, a habit at this point. “Yeah, I like that. Can I put that in?”

“Go for it,” Schlatt agreed, taking another sip.

Tubbo used the corner of the president’s desk to pen in more words on his draft, Schlatt observing him with a pensive expression. The teen was too preoccupied to notice the way Schlatt bit the inside of his lip apprehensively. Pain and contemplation swirled in Schlatt’s head as he looked down on the young man he’d come to be so close with. The moments he spent with Tubbo were so genuine, yet forced at the same time. It hurt. Schlatt had to take a deep breath to contain the emotions bubbling up, letting the feigned smile return to his lips when the boy finally looked up again. 

“You know the 16th is only a few days away,” Tubbo commented.

“Yes it is.”

“Are you nervous?”

Schlatt let the glass in his hand droop back down to the desk, giving Tubbo a sideways glance. “No. Why would I be nervous?”

“Just because this is a big deal, it’s a monumental event in Manberg’s history,” Tubbo explained. Schlatt let his shoulders untense, suddenly realizing the rigidity of his body.

“I know it will go exactly according to plan.” Schlatt couldn’t bring himself to look at the teen, instead standing up and straightening up the mess from the day’s work. “The speech sounds good kid. Why don’t you go home and get some rest.”

Tubbo gave a quick nod of agreement and went to grab his coat, all the while Schlatt stood staring at his bookshelf. The teen couldn’t help but feel a bit of optimism at the night’s interaction. As the weeks went on Tubbo had seen a more human side of the president, one that made him believe there was still good left in him. It was obvious he’d been hurt in the past, but so had everyone else. There could still be room for forgiveness and reconciliation. There was still hope for a peaceful ending.

“Goodnight Schlatt,” Tubbo called, waving goodbye as he made his way to the door.

“Tubbo.” Schlatt stopped him, turning to ask one last thing before letting him leave.

“Do you miss Wilbur and Tommy?”

Tubbo stared at Schlatt, unable to speak for what felt like an eternity. He was sure his hesitation was answer enough, but the president’s expectant eyes remained glued to the boy’s face.

“No sir.”

Schlatt nodded, no sign of emotion crossing his face. Tubbo stood unsure in the threshold, hand gently gripping the frame as he waited for the order to leave.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, bright and early.”

“Yes sir.”

And Tubbo went home, leaving the troubled president alone in his office.

Walking in to see an uninvited person sitting in his home would have scared Tubbo to death if it hadn’t been the second time it happened. Of course, the shock of seeing the exiled president in his living room was still enough for him to drop his papers to the floor.

“ _Wilbur_?” The teen gasped, bending down to scoop them back up before rushing to lock his door. “What – what the hell?”

Wilbur remained calm, sprawled out on the boys sofa as though he wasn’t the least bit on edge. Considering he was in a nation that wanted him dead, he shouldn’t have been as relaxed as he was. “Sit down, I want to talk with you.”

Tubbo felt his nerves prickle at the cool tone, one he’d never heard from Wilbur’s mouth. It seemed off. He didn’t even take off his coat or shoes, just shot over to the nearest seat he could find. “Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s more than okay.” Wilbur grinned. “Where were you, it’s late.”

Tubbo hesitated, swallowing as he let out the truth. “I was with Schlatt. We were going over my speech for the festival.”

“Your speech.. Well, let’s hear it then.” Wilbur said, slower.

“I don’t think – it’s not what I wanted to say. It’s just to keep up the part, you know?” Tubbo nervously passed the papers to Wilbur, who took a few silent moments to scan them. The man’s face twisted into an offput expression, but it quickly reverted back as he handed the draft to Tubbo.

“You haven’t been to Pogtopia in over a week.”

“I know, I know, I’ve been too busy with the festival, it would have raised suspicion if I left for an extended period of time.” Wilbur seemed unimpressed with the answer. “I’m sorry sir, I just – ”

“Tubbo, are you happier with Schlatt?”

The question caught the teen off guard, and he gave Wilbur a pained expression. “Of course not.”

The reply came quickly, but as soon as he said it he began to wonder if it was entirely true. He wasn’t happier with _Schlatt_ per se, but what he’d done.. Tubbo couldn’t deny that L’Manberg had improved under his administration. Tubbo still wanted to see Schlatt as a tyrannous ruler, but that narrative was being challenged the longer he remained in the cabinet. He didn’t say any of that though, sticking to his original reply with confidence.

“I have an important job for you Tubbo.” Wilbur stared at the floor as he spoke. “A very, very important job.”

“Anything Wilbur.”

The ex-president rose to his feet, slowly, ominously, as he moved to pull back the curtains drawn over the windows. “On the day of the festival I’m going to blow up L’Manberg, and I want you to give me the cue.”

Tubbo’s blood ran cold. He was glad Wilbur wasn’t looking at him, he didn’t want him see the look on his face. Wil’s tone was enough to tell the teen everything. How was this the man who was once president? This wasn’t even the man he last saw in Pogtopia. This was insanity.

“Why?” Was all Tubbo could ask. Wilbur whipped around, face sickeningly joyful.

“Because it’s gone. L’Manberg is dead. And if I can’t have it, then Schlatt certainly can’t either.”

Tubbo scrambled to find the words to answer, but he had no idea what to say. How did he handle this situation? What could he possibly do?

“People will get hurt.. how.. how many explosives are you going to set off?” Tubbo finally mustered. Wilbur was about to answer, but saw the hesitant look on the boy’s face. He pulled in his breath, shifting his narrative just enough to let the idea sink into Tubbo’s mind.

“I’m going to set off the grand stand,” he started, not technically lying. “It will do enough damage to make an impact, let’s say that.”

“But.. I’ll be on the grand stand.”

“No, you’ll be far from it. At the end of your speech you deliver the signal, and you get to cover. That’s when I press the button that lights the TNT.”

Tubbo still looked apprehensive. Wilbur seemed so sure of the idea, but it felt like the wrong thing to do. Schlatt would be on the stand, Quackity and possibly Fundy as well. It didn’t seem like the right move, but Tubbo wasn’t the one in charge.

“Do you really think this is the best idea?” Tubbo tried not to sound untrusting, not wanting to give his leader the wrong impression.

“I’m sure of it. This is the only way to get what we want.” Wilbur stepped in closer, leaning down to get level with the teen. “Tubbo, are you going to help me? Are you on my side?”

Tubbo’s answer to those questions weren’t the same, but they were asked in cohesion. It was yes or no, no in between. It didn’t matter what Tubbo wanted to do, if he was on Wilbur’s side he would help him blow up Manberg. Wilbur was making him choose between him and Schlatt, and he felt he had no other option.

“I.. I’ll do it.” 

Wilbur beamed, cupping the side of the boys head gently before patting his shoulder. “I’m so glad to hear it.”

Tubbo felt disoriented as Wilbur went on to explain what the plan was, where to take safety, and how to carry out the speech. He took in all the information, but he wasn’t really present. It was all happening so fast, everything was being flipped on it’s head. This festival wasn’t supposed to end in bloodshed, this wasn’t what Tubbo had wanted.

Yet he agreed. He nodded along and followed the orders Wilbur gave him.

“At the end of your speech I want you to say _‘Let the festival begin’_ , and that’s when you get out.” Wilbur instructed. “Then, it’ll all be over.”

Tubbo didn’t want to speak. He felt nauseous, he just wanted Wilbur to leave. So he simply nodded along and played the role he was expected to.

Wilbur gave a short, happy laugh, looking out the window one last time. “This is good. This is good Tubbo. I don’t know if I’ll see you again before the festival, but remember the line.”

“Let the festival begin,” Tubbo muttered. Wilbur gave him one final pat on the back before giving him a farewell and sneaking off into the autumn night. His home felt empty, and not just because of the parting of the maniacal man. It was as though their interaction had stripped Tubbo of himself. All of it, the whole festival, _his speech_.. it wasn’t his. He didn’t really make his own choices anymore, if he ever had in the first place.

Tubbo crawled into bed, not even bothering to change out of his clothes. He squeezed his pillow tight to his chest, closing his eyes tight and wishing the day to be over.

“ _Let the festival begin_..”

There had been an unsettled atmosphere in Pogtopia ever since the incident with Dream. Wilbur and Tommy were in limbo – neither friends nor enemies. The two hadn’t spoken much since; Wilbur spent his time with Techno finishing up the TNT, and Tommy did his best to forget about it all together. Tommy knew about Tubbo’s agreement to the plan, which only made his brain more frazzled. From what Wilbur described the spy was all for the idea, though Tommy didn’t entirely believe that. He wished he could see his friend again before the festival, but with things ramping up as the date drew nearer it was too risky. Tommy felt very lonely. Sometimes Techno would bring him food and talk with him, but the majority of his time was spent either ignoring the plot to destroy L’Manberg, or thinking of ways to prevent it.

Neither Wilbur or Tommy wanted to be floating in that strange middle ground, but with their objectives drifting so far apart, there wasn’t much anyone could do. No one would bend, so until the fate of the festival was decided, they would remain as they were.

The night before the festival was a restless one, just as Tommy had expected. He still had no solid plan on how he could stop Wilbur from pressing the button, and it was a matter of hours until they would be setting off to L’Manberg for what could be the last time.

The teen decided that laying awake on the stone floor wasn’t doing his mind any good, and he resigned himself to the fact that he wouldn’t get much rest. He lit his lantern and sat up against the rocky wall, staring aimlessly at the gray before him. This was what it had come to.

Tommy glanced down the end of the ravine, seeing the light barely reach the depleted stack of explosive materials. It had been almost fully used up, evidently Techno had stolen more materials than they could utilize in their given time frame. It had been sitting there for over a week, and each day Tommy had to look at it. Each day he was reminded of the plot Wilbur wanted to carry out.

He decided he was sick of it.

As Tommy carried the lantern over he wasn’t sure what his intentions were. He wasn’t going to light it, obviously, but he couldn’t just leave it there. Something had to be done to show Wil and Techno that Tommy wasn’t going to accept their actions.

Perhaps it was a coping mechanism, a way to revert back to a safer and happier time, but all Tommy could think about when he stared at the gunpowder was fireworks. He remembered a time, back when him and Tubbo were thirteen, when his friend had shown him how to make a firework with the very same supplies they had in Pogtopia now. Tommy had been so fascinated by it, and the two spent all afternoon scrounging up as many needed resources to make their own firework display. Fundy had caught on to their plans, but rather than stop them, decided to act as the adult and be the one to light them. That evening they had a display of colorful explosives to watch, the blue and red pops of color were still as vibrant in Tommy’s mind as the day he watched them. The fondness of the memory made him smile.

So, as his last act of defiance, Tommy decided to make one.

With the faint light of the flickering lantern Tommy Innit stood against the violence by doing the one thing he could. It didn’t matter if it was insignificant in the grander scheme of things, it didn’t matter that his firework would be scoffed at when Wilbur found it the next morning, because it represented hope for the boy. More than that, it was the only connection to Tubbo he had, and God knew he needed his best friend at that moment.

With the singular firework now sitting proudly on top of the stack, Tommy smiled. It was simple and ordinary, nothing more than a roll of paper and a fuse, but it was his doing. Even if Techno and Wilbur didn’t realize it as a symbol of defiance, Tommy knew, and that was enough.

And as he went to try and get some sleep, he thought to himself that he and Tubbo could set it off together once the war was finally won.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buckle up. The festival's coming.
> 
> There is something so unique about writing a story in which the readers already know the outcome. It makes scenes like these hit so much harder. Hope this chapter gave you just as much angst to read it as it gave me to write it.


	17. I May Not Live to See Our Glories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I stay up until 2 am two nights in a row to finish this? Yes.  
> Was it worth it? Absolutely.

It was eerie, silent, no one spoke the morning of the festival as they prepared for the decisive day ahead. Each member of Pogtopia had their own desire for the event’s end, three allies with completely polarizing purposes.

Wilbur and Tommy left with the first few rays of the rising sun, intending to sneak into Manberg early enough to avoid being seen. People would start to gather as the day began, anticipatorily waiting for the initial speech. It would be a long morning as the two waited in their staked out hiding spot, too many hours for the broken friends to spend together.

Sneaking into Manberg didn’t give Tommy the same nerves as it had before, likely because all his energy was shifted onto the threat of the explosives. Wilbur was calm, almost serene. Usually he held an air of giddiness, especially when thinking about his plan, but it wasn’t there now. Tommy had expected psychotic smiles and nihilistic comments; now, however, he seemed to reflect the contemplative man who’d become president so long ago.

The two could barely see each other as they sat in the unlit storehouse behind the grandstand. Despite not getting any sleep Tommy wasn’t tired. He tried to preoccupy himself by counting the links in the chainmail chest plate he was wearing, hoping to pass the time with the mind numbing task. Wilbur was completely still the entire time. It was surreal for him, being here, hours away from the penultimate act. Sitting in that darkened room, Wilbur began to think. For the first time his head wasn’t cycling through the same self-indulging narratives, but rather processing the reality behind his actions. It wasn’t a fleeting idea, it was no longer a concept, it was really going to happen.

Wilbur wasn’t expecting the emotions that arose over his conviction to detonate Manberg. He hadn’t had any regret or hesitation in the past, so why was he having them now?

The exiled president didn’t have time to answer that question. Tommy had one of his own.

“Can we just be friends again?”

Wilbur’s head shot up to look at the outline of the teen. He could make out that the boy had pulled his knees to his chest where he hugged them as tight as he could. The older man didn’t reply.

“I know nothing I say will change your mind. There’s nothing I can do to stop you from pushing that button.. but if that’s the way this ends I don’t want to be alone when it does,” Tommy could hear his voice shake in an attempt to hold back his tears. So could Wilbur.

“You were never alone Tommy. I never left.”

Tommy had to scrunch his face in order to stop himself from blurting out that that was a lie. Wilbur had left him, maybe not intentionally, but he certainly had. “It’s felt like we’re enemies for the past month. I fought so hard to get you to stop that I’ve turned us into rivals. But I don’t care anymore. I just want Wilbur back.”

Wilbur felt his breath catch in his throat as he tried to respond, unable to speak the truth. He’d hated the distance as well, but he couldn’t bring himself to admit that. It wasn’t about Tommy, or Techno, or anyone. It was about destroying Manberg. That’s what it had to be about. It had to be.

But did it really? Tommy was part of his plan. Tommy was part of the ending, no matter what that ending was.

“I never wanted to do this without you.”

“I don’t want to do this at all,” Tommy clarified. “But I told you I’d stay by your side, even if I don’t believe in your actions.”

“Even if you don’t, I still want you here. We’ve been through too much together to throw it away,” Wilbur agreed. Tommy leaned his head back, grateful for the confirmation that his mentor still cared about him. He hadn’t been stupid to stay. The real Wil was still down there somewhere.

“Let’s just pretend things are okay,” Tommy suggested, wrapping his arms around himself. “At least for now.”

Wilbur let out a sigh, feeling a weight lift from his heart. He had Tommy back. He was his right hand man. “It’s me and you against the world, isn’t it?”

Tommy shifted, not looking to find Wilbur’s face across from him.

“Yeah.. yeah, it is.”

Technoblade was alone in Pogtopia as he got ready for the festival. He’d been on his own before – in fact, he had spent over a decade being alone before siding with Wilbur – yet somehow being the only one in the ravine felt strange. It was the first time he felt lonely in years. He hated it.

The nature of the Manberg festival invitation meant that anyone would be welcomed as an attendant, everyone except Wilbur and Tommy. The three decided that Techno should go as a guest, they needed at least one person as back up amongst the crowd if something were to go wrong. It was a risky choice, possibly raising alarm bells to Schlatt and the others, but Manberg had no reason to think Techno was on the rebel’s side.

As Techno was gearing up to leave he had to be strategic about what to bring. He knew he couldn’t show up in his armor, that would be all too suspicious. He still brought his weapons though. It was common enough to carry swords on your belt, and the supposed narrative was that Techno was coming into Manberg from the dangerous wilderness. It would make sense to be equipped and ready.

There wasn’t much else to gather other than his own thoughts. He was aware of the likelihood that Manberg would be destroyed today, and he did his best to remain indifferent towards that outcome. His intentions had never been to tear down the society built up in those nations, but he couldn’t let himself become involved in the fate of L’Manberg. He was merely there as a tool to rid Schlatt, and if that meant detonating the country, then perhaps that’s how it was meant to be.

Wilbur had left his pocket watch with Techno, allowing him to see that it was an hour until noon. Now was the moment to go, it was almost time for the festival to begin.

Techno took one last look around Pogtopia, realizing that may be the last time he stepped foot in the ravine. If all went to plan and Schlatt was taken out today, he would leave without looking back. He’d already grown too close to Wilbur, Tommy, and even Tubbo; remaining any longer than necessary would only make him weaker. It was nearly time to say goodbye.

The last remaining embers of the fire were put out and all but one lantern was extinguished, leaving just enough light for Techno to see the remaining stack of explosive materials a few feet away from him. It almost felt nostalgic, a twisted bonding experience he and Wilbur shared. Techno wondered what would come of the remaining gunpowder. He thought about taking some with him. For practical uses, he told himself, not as a keepsake of his time with his unlikely companions. As Techno walked over to pick up a small pouch of the materials, he saw what he thought was a forgotten piece of TNT sitting atop the pile. When he went to pick it up he realized what it actually was.

The gunpowder was forgotten as he studied the simply crafted item. There was no doubt in his mind that Tommy had been the one to make it. Techno let out a hum of consideration, and in an offhanded decision he pocketed the firework and made his way to Manberg.

The town center was bustling with excited festival goers and vendors, by all outward appearances the day was filled with nothing but happiness and enjoyment. However, a small minority of the attendees were far from enjoying themselves, knowing full well of the sinister plot that lay just below their feet.

Tubbo wanted to just have fun for one day. He had convinced himself to let the festival be the day he forgot about the rebellion and the conflict, that is until Wilbur had come to him with his plan of destroying it. Tubbo had spent weeks planning the event, but now it felt like all that hard work was meaningless. He genuinely did his best to forget about the speech, telling himself to appreciate the first few hours of citizens enjoying the games and vendors. He had made this for L’Manberg after all, he owed it to himself and the people to be the best Secretary of State he could be.

“Tubbo!” The teen heard Quackity call out as he made his way over. The Vice President was wearing a brand-new jacket, much like the one Tubbo wore, but adorned with a navy blue sash and several metal pins. 

“Alex,” Tubbo replied with a smile. Quackity looked thrilled, a massive grin hadn’t left his face in hours. The large turn out from both Essempee and L’Manberg had proven how successful the cabinet’s efforts had been, and the Vice President was taking in every minute of it. Quackity was just as invested in the event as Tubbo was, only he didn’t have any idea about the dangers ahead. Tubbo envied that. He wished the festival could be just that – a carefree day of festivities.

“Isn’t this great! Everyone’s having so much fun, and we did this.” Quackity gave Tubbo a friendly pat on the shoulder as he gestured around. “We did something really good.”

Tubbo nodded, hurting all the more. Quackity had become one of Tubbo’s acquaintances; despite his connection to Schlatt the two were quite different. Quackity didn’t seem to have the same power-hungry mindset that Schlatt did. The Vice President was always eager to do good and use his position to genuinely better Manberg. Tubbo didn’t see Quackity as an extension of Schlatt, which made it all that much harder to think about what would happen when the TNT was detonated.

Their conversation was cut short as Quackity noticed Dream make his way into the square, George and Sapnap by his side. Tubbo noticed Dream’s stiff demeanor, despite how the King tried to mask it behind playful conversation with his friends. It made the teen wonder if he knew about the plot with the TNT. As far as Tubbo was aware, only him, Wilbur, Tommy, and Techno were in on the plan, but with Dream’s secret connection to Pogtopia he may have been clued in as well.

“I’ll talk to you later Tubbo, I’m gonna go show Dream around,” Quackity cheered excitedly, giving him a quick wave as he ran off to catch up with the foreign diplomats. Tubbo gave a weak goodbye in return.

As he rubbed his face wearily, Tubbo felt a presence approach him from behind. He put on a jovial expression, one he’d been practicing all morning, in preparation to talk with whoever wanted his attention. That façade fell to a mixture of confusion and relief when he saw who it was.

“ _Techno?_ ” he breathed out, the man turning his head down in response. He hastily gestured for Tubbo to follow him, not replying until they were away from the crowd.

“Go ahead and announce it to everyone why don’t you.” Techno snarked as he backed away, Tubbo following him into the empty space behind the general store.

“What are you doing here?” Tubbo questioned once they were out of earshot.

“We needed someone in the audience in case things go south,” Techno explained. “But I wanted to see you before the speech started. How are you doing?”

Tubbo shifted his jacket, feeling the final draft rustle from inside the pocket. An ingrained apprehension told him to answer as neutrally as possible. “I’m doing fine. Just a lot to think about.”

Techno nodded, studying the boy as he nervously fiddled with the cuffs of his sleeves. “It’s okay to be anxious, but you’ll be safe. We’ve made sure of that.”

“I know, I know. I.. I guess I’m just worried about the others,” Tubbo reluctantly revealed. “I don’t want people to get hurt.”

The warrior sighed. Wilbur had never explicitly stated it, but Techno was fairly certain that the ex-president wasn’t entirely honest with Tubbo. It seemed too out of character for the teen to follow along with the plan, he was surprised he’d agreed in the first place.

“Are you still going to say the phrase?”

Tubbo’s eyes shot to meet Techno’s. At first he was scared that the man was trying to coerce him into adhering to the plan, but he was met with softness instead. It was an honest question, not a challenge.

“Well – I – ” A realization hit the teen, one that should have crossed his mind before. “I didn’t think I had the choice not to.”

That admission made Techno’s heart skip a beat. Something about the cadence in Tubbo’s voice reminded him that he was still so young. It was obvious how much he wanted to be accepted by Wilbur, he was willing to blow up the nation simply because his leader said it was the right thing to do.

“You’re allowed to decide for yourself what’s right. I know it’s hard when there are so many voices telling you what to do, but it’s important that you follow _your_ voice.”

Tubbo thought he had it all figured out, he thought he’d come to terms with the outcome of the detonation, but now everything was flipped once more. Did he really have to just accept the fate of L’Manberg? Would it all come down to him?

“Should I say it Techno?” The boy looked up to him, face heavy with the burden of the choice. “Do I give the cue to blow it up?”

“I’m not the one who gets to make that call,” Techno replied after a weighted hesitation. Tubbo’s head fell back down. He reached into his pocket to feel the speech, it was like fire beneath his fingers. It was all on him.

“Do what you think is right Tubbo,” Techno told him, taking a step back. “I shouldn’t keep you for long, we can’t let anyone get suspicious.”

Tubbo nodded in agreement, trying to snap himself back into the pretend state of cheerfulness the people expected from him. “Right. Well, uh, thank you for checking in on me.”

“Yeah, no problem.” Techno was about to sneak off in a separate direction from Tubbo, but paused. “And Tubbo.. regardless of how your speech ends, get to safety as soon as possible. I don’t want you caught in any crossfire.”

The teen gave him a smile, nodding thank you again as he remerged back into the crowd. A glance behind him showed Techno nowhere in sight, likely planning on entering at the last minute possible. Tubbo tried to move past the interaction, but still let the notion simmer in the back of his mind as he went about making sure the festival was running smoothly.

Eret and Niki had everything planned and ready, not wanting to waste a single moment the festival was providing. The invitation for Eret to join the VIP’s on the designated stand had definitely thrown a wrench in things, but they were still able to work out a course of action. Niki would remain hidden; her hood was drawn up over her face and her hair was left down to obscure her even further. She wasn’t explicitly banished from Manberg, but if any officials noticed her she would likely be thrown out or detained. She would remain out of sight until a moment presented itself for her to spring into action, sword at the ready and willing to risk it all for her country.

“Remember to be safe, if something goes wrong do your best to defend yourself. I’m going to be ready to help, but since we’re separated it may make things more challenging,” Eret debriefed as they stood outside the entrance into Manberg. Niki nodded along, taking in each word carefully. She couldn’t deny how scared she was; she’d never been in combat before, but today could change that.

“I’ll be okay, look out for yourself too. I don’t like the idea of Schlatt inviting you to sit up there with him..” Niki cautioned.

“Schlatt thinks I’m on his side. I really don’t think there’s anything to worry about. But I’ll be safe, don’t worry.” Eret reassured.

The two exchanged a brief hug as they said their goodbyes, hoping beyond hope that this wouldn’t be the last time they got to do so. Nothing was meant to go awry that day, but nothing had gone as planned before. There was bound to be a disaster at the Manberg festival.

Technoblade waited a good twenty minutes before sneaking back into the crowd, keeping his eyes out for any sign of danger. All he had to do was maintain a low profile until the speech started.

That plan failed as soon as he heard a familiar voice call out his name.

“Technoblade!”

_Dear God no_. Techno turned his head as Schlatt walked over to him with open arms. The president had a wide smile on his face.

“I thought you might show up today,” Schlatt stated. Techno flinched internally, wondering why the president was so confident in his arrival. “I’m glad to see you! It’s been awhile since we last spoke.”

Schlatt threw an arm around Techno’s shoulder and he had to fight every instinct not to immediately shove him off. He sucked in a short breath through his teeth, forcing a thin-lipped smile onto his face. “Yeah, it’s been.. a couple of years.”

“Just as upbeat as ever,” Schlatt teased, laughing to himself and giving Techno a playful pat on the back. “But for real, welcome to Manberg. I’ve really made this place something special, why don’t I show you around, then we can head up to the VIP booth together.”

Alarm bells went off in Techno’s head at the invitation, but he knew he couldn’t reject the offer so blatantly. “Sounds great.”

As Schlatt led him off on the tour of the already familiar country, Techno tried to look as unsuspecting as possible. The president had no idea that he’d already been well acquainted with the area; he knew where each piece of TNT had been shallowly buried or hidden away in crevices. It was ironic that Techno was being shown around, when it was Schlatt who had no idea what actually sat amidst his country.

Just as promised, the tour ended with Schlatt walking Techno up to the aforementioned booth, and Techno had to take a deep breath in order to maintain an unassuming composure. The platform was to the left of the stage, decorated in banners and adornments that matched those around the festival. There was a table full of food and drink, space to mingle, and comfortable seating from which to watch the opening events of the festival. Quackity had thrown together a lovely setting for the VIPs to gather, and at that moment most of the elite guests were spread about the space.

The whole thing was a complete and utter fiasco.

When Quackity made the guest list the allegiances and associations of each member weren’t taken into consideration, partially because most of those loyalties were kept secret. People on every side of the conflict were forced to socialize in a designated twenty foot by twenty foot area, and a heavy tension hung over the motley group as they stood around in quiet conversation. The only person who seemed to be enjoying themselves was Quackity.

Dream stood in the far corner with Sapnap and George close by, already anxious enough about the explosives he knew were right under his feet. He shouldn’t have come at all, they should all be back in Essempee where it was safe. But his two friends had been looking forward to the festivities, and trying to convince them otherwise would raise suspicion. He would already have to think of a valid reason for getting them to leave when Tubbo started his speech, and _‘I knew L’Manberg would blow up because Wilbur told me so’_ wasn’t the best option.

George gave constant glances towards Eret and Tubbo, who weren’t standing near each other. The distance they shared only made him more suspicious, considering they were acting like best friends weeks before. Sapnap would have felt a same unease if he wasn’t happily chatting and sipping on his drink. Dream did his best not to pay any mind to the two men secretly aiding Pogtopia, instead focusing on Quackity’s continuous conversation. The king of Essempee only hoped his officers would do the same and ignore everyone else there.

Fundy was quiet, not particularly wanting to socialize with anyone other than Tubbo or Quackity. He held his goblet firm in his hand as he stared down Eret, upset that the traitor was there in the first place. He knew Eret was acting as an advisor to Schlatt, a sort of liaison between Essempee and Manberg. It seemed like another play to Fundy, and the last thing he wanted was to associate with Eret anymore. He’d been scorned before, he wasn’t going to open himself up to that again.

Tubbo was almost too preoccupied with the anxiety of his decision to put on an act. He tried not to let his unease show through, instead focusing on Fundy and Quackity and ignoring everyone else there. He wasn’t supposed to like anyone other than them, after all, so he resigned himself to standing in quiet conversation with Fundy. At least he could try and distract his cabinet mate to spare Eret from Fundy’s scowls of disdain.

Eret may have been in the worst position of them all, supposedly unliked by everyone there except Quackity. He wished he wasn’t there in the first place, but Schlatt had personally wanted him to join the group of important people and he wasn’t going to deny that. He tried to ignore Fundy’s obvious glares, as well as the unsure looks from George. His only option was to try and integrate into Quackity’s conversation, feeling the most confident standing among that group. Tensions may have been high between him and the officers of Essempee, but at one point they were friends. They could at least be civil enough to make small talk until the festival began.

All anyone could do was try and act civil, in fact. Despite everyone there opposing each other, they all held their tongue and stiffly followed social decorum. It was only for a few hours, they could manage to uphold some form of tolerance for the people they were forced to sit next to.

Of course, when Schlatt led Technoblade up to join the group, it only made the dynamic so much stranger. Every pair of eyes seemed to be glued to Techno, some of confusion, some of vague familiarity, and some of feigned ignorance. Aside from Tubbo and Dream, a few among them seemed to recognize Techno’s face, though they were all children when they last knew each other. He’d changed plenty over the twelve years since he’d last seen many of them, but perhaps not enough to remain a stranger. He realized his presence was unsettling, so he silently grabbed something to eat and sat off to the side in the furthest chair possible, hoping Schlatt and everyone else would leave him alone.

This was the last thing Techno expected for the day’s events, and he would almost rather the country blow up than have to endure another minute of the uncomfortable encounter on that stand.

Hearing the commotion going on from outside the walls of the storehouse was agonizing, and both Tommy and Wilbur were dying to see what was happening. Tommy was getting especially antsy, having sat around for hours on end. He moved himself to the wall closest to the square, trying to see through the thin cracks of the boards. Nothing was distinguishable, though when Tommy put his hand up to the wood he could feel how loose it was.

“Wil, I think we can pull this plank off and get a look at what’s going on,” Tommy offered, though as soon as he said it braced himself for the scolding of irresponsibility. Surprisingly, Wilbur didn’t say a word, instead scooting over to check it out for himself. The leader gave a quick nod, and the two tried to be as subtle as they could as they pried the dilapidated wood from the frame. The new space gave enough room to view the activity, but was unsuspecting enough to go unnoticed by the distracted guests.

“Wow.. look at how many people are here,” Tommy commented. Wilbur didn’t say anything, instead surveying the scene for himself. “They’ve got games and food, they look so happy.”

Tommy felt his shoulders drop, somewhat jealous at the fact that he wasn’t out there with everyone else. He didn’t care how stupid it was, after spending so many weeks underground it was only fair that he craved a fun afternoon. Instead of being out there with Tubbo, he was in a musty warehouse with a crazy man.

“They are having fun, aren’t they..” Wilbur leaned back, pulling his eyes away from the crowd. He’d wanted them to be upset and distrusting of the festival, but they were happy. His brain was telling him to feel angry seeing his people reveling in his absence, but all he felt was sadness. The ire he had against Manberg just wasn’t there.

“Wait, look! Techno’s up in a booth with Schlatt and Tubbo. Dream’s there too, and Eret, and a bunch of other people.” Tommy waved for Wilbur to look, and sure enough they were all mingling together. Enemies and allies alike – though now the lines dividing the people into those categories were blurring. Seeing that group made Wilbur unsure of who was really against him anymore.

“Everyone’s here..” Wilbur mumbled to himself. Tommy shot him a worried glance.

“I mean, yeah. Did you think they wouldn’t be?”

Wilbur shrugged limply as he slid to the side to lean his back against the wall. For weeks he’d been envisioning what it would all look like when he blew it up. He’d had an image in his mind, one he thought was so vivid. It was playing over in his head now, only this time it was different. Where blurred faces of strangers once filled his head, he now saw his friends. Not just his close companions either, but each citizen he’d looked after for years. Everyone in that audience would die. His heart seized up as he finally understood that.

“These people are my friends,” Wilbur whispered, causing Tommy to pull away from the thin viewing hole. The teen felt adrenaline rush through him. Had Techno been right? Had seeing it all in person really made Wilbur doubt his actions?

Tommy waited, not wanting to say a word in fear of breaking the fragile mind of his mentor. He watched with bated breath as Wilbur’s face shifted. “I don’t know.. these are my friends.”

As Wilbur grappled with his thoughts Tommy slowly placed the board back in place, blocking out the day once again. Only thin streams of light were coming through the cracks between the planks, just enough to see each other.

“You don’t have to do this,” Tommy cautiously pushed. Wilbur buried his face in his hands.

“But this is the opportunity! If I don’t blow it up now, when am I going to blow it up?” He threw his arms back to his sides, pushing himself off the ground.

“You don’t have to do it ever,” Tommy stood too, but didn’t move towards Wilbur yet.

“What happens if this is the only chance I get?” Wilbur wasn’t facing Tommy, it was more of a vocal stream of consciousness as he paced back and forth. “Schlatt doesn’t get to have L’Manberg. He needs consequences for his actions.”

“And he’ll get them,” Tommy assured, this time stepping forward with more confidence in his voice. “Schlatt will pay for everything he’s done, but blowing up L’Manberg isn’t the way to do it. You don’t need to hurt everyone else too.”

Wilbur stopped moving to squat down, fingers running through his hair in frustration. “Fuck.”

It was all too real for both of them now. Tommy was so close to extinguishing his leader’s destructiveness. Wilbur was teetering on the edge and there was no telling what would push him over. The moment was now, and if he didn’t take advantage of it he likely wouldn’t ever do it. The problem was, he didn’t know if he even _wanted to_ anymore. Wilbur wished his feelings didn’t exist, he wanted to be like Techno and just get rid of all his connections. It would make things so much easier, he could just end it and let the ashes of his memories dissolve to nothing.

“Wilbur..” Tommy had one last chance to say his piece. If Wilbur didn’t change his mind now, he never would. “You told me L’Manberg wasn’t the place, it was the people. And I know you think that the people have turned their back on you, but that’s just not true. You still built this country, you stood for them when no one else would. They haven’t turned on us. Please.. you can’t do this.”

Wilbur swiped his hand across his face, hiding the single tear that managed to escape his steel gaze. His heart ached at the thought of it being obliterated. It hurt to imagine a world without L’Manberg – without the people he loved. He had convinced himself that it was already gone, but now he was doubting that. All he ever wanted was to get it back. Was that still a possibility?

“Wil?”

Tommy clutched the green bandana around his neck as he waited for a reply. The silence was almost too much, and even though he knew he shouldn’t have added any more pressure that was near impossible at this point.

It wasn’t Tommy’s insistence that made Wilbur look up, but rather the fading away of the buzzing crowd. The commotion from the festival goers was turning to hushed tones, and that could only mean one thing.

“Tubbo’s going to give his speech.” Wilbur raced for the exit, pulling Tommy along with him. “Come on, we need to go.”

“Welcome to the festival of Manberg!”

An applause rang out through the square, the most enthusiastic one yet. Schlatt had given plenty of speeches and announcements over the months, but this one was met with genuine excitement. The people weren’t afraid of what was to come. Things had turned around, Manberg was turning into something worth celebrating.

“I’ve invited all the citizens of Manberg and Essempee, as well as some very close friends of mine, to enjoy the festival of this nation. I wanted to put one together so we can enjoy the fruits of our labor. I’m so proud of this country, and I want to thank you all for being here. ”

Another round of cheers, coming from all places but the booth. A pleasant clap was the most that came from anyone sitting in the elite entourage. The remaining members of the group were spaced far apart, trying not to think about their company. Techno was on the edge of his seat, heart beating faster than it should have been.

“I can stand up here and take all the credit for this event, but at the end of the day, Tubbo’s the one who made this entire thing happen. He’s spent months building this nation up, giving his undying support, and I don’t know if we’d be where we are today without him.” Schlatt looked down to the surface of the podium, giving a short nod before speaking to Tubbo in a volume only he could hear. “I do consider you my right hand man.”

Tubbo couldn’t help but smile. He’d made up his mind, he knew how the speech would end today.

“Without further ado, I’d like to bring Tubbo, my right hand man, my protégé, up to give us a speech.”

With that Dream silently rose, motioning for his officers to do the same. They shot him confused glances, but he sternly pointed towards the steps behind them. Techno and Dream exchanged a knowing look as the King made his way out of the festival.

Wilbur and Tommy had found cover behind a vacant building, barely able to see the stage without risking being seen themselves. Their hands hovered close to their belts, ready to grab their weapons at a moments notice. They couldn’t stay hidden anymore. It was crucial that they stand ready for whatever was to come. Tommy still didn’t know what Wilbur had decided to do, which made him all the more terrified as he watched his best friend take his place at the podium.

“Be safe,” Tommy whispered,

As Tubbo cleared his throat and looked over the crowd he was overcome with a wave of emotions; it was mostly anxiety, but some pride as well. He’d been given the honor of the opening speech, and that wasn’t something he’d simply happened to get. The hard work and dedication to L’Manberg put him there.

“Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, thank you again for coming. Hopefully everyone got to win at least one of our booths today.” Tubbo paused, letting the crowd react to the opening joke. “I never knew how lucky I’d be, to get to create something so special here in Manberg. I have truly been given an amazing opportunity, and it’s all thanks to the people here today.”

Tubbo looked to his left where Schlatt stood, and the president had to pull a smile back onto his face to match the teen’s expression.

“A wise man once told me that Manberg is like a head of lettuce. There are so many layers of tasty and healthy goodness to reach, and once you wash away the caterpillars and worms from the surface, it turns into a pretty good meal. Schlatt has successfully washed all of the insects off our great nation and with that he's allowed the goodness and tastiness to shine through.” That line hit Tommy hard. He knew it wasn’t what Tubbo truly believed, but hearing the words come so confidently from his mouth was disheartening. Wilbur seemed to share the same pain.

“I’d like you to look around at what we’ve built. Look at each other. All of this thanks to democracy and the leadership of Schlatt, and isn't that what this festival is all about? Democracy. Our people have been beaten down by royals and by dictators for so long, and now we're finally free. Free to elect who we want, free to live how we want, and most importantly, free to go wherever we want without the confines of those huge walls. With that, I’d like to thank the leadership that got us to this point today.” When Tubbo said it, he did mean it. He may not have agreed with everything Schlatt stood for, but he did find a place in his heart to accept the man whom he’d worked under for months. “Thank you Schlatt.”

Three people in the audience held their breaths, waiting for the final words to leave Tubbo’s lips. Tommy put a hand on Wilbur’s arm, Techno was nearly out of his seat, and Tubbo closed his eyes to take in the last moment.

“I say it’s time we enjoy this festival.”

The crowd gave a final applause, leaving all four members of Pogtopia unsure of what to do next. Wilbur was frozen in his spot, staring at the stage as though there was still more to come. Tommy felt electricity in the air, any second he would spring forth from the pent up energy. No one moved, no one had anticipated this outcome.

Tubbo was so entranced with the continuous clapping that he barely noticed the malicious laugh coming from behind him. Two hands fell on him – one on his back and one on his arm – gripping tighter than just a friendly touch. Tubbo tilted his head to give the president a confused look, being met with empty eyes. It was then that he remembered Techno’s words, and he knew he had to get off that stage fast. He tried to step back, but Schlatt’s hold kept him from going anywhere.

“What’s wrong Schlatt?” Tubbo let out a nervous laugh, going rigid as the president clenched his hand around his wrist. “Schlatt what are you – ”

The coolness of metal met with Tubbo’s skin, and he jolted as an iron shackle was attached to his wrist and securely locked. He didn’t have time to pull away before the other end was fastened on the decorative carvings of the podium.

“What are you doing?” Panic coursed through the boy as he tugged at the restraints, only to find that the podium itself had been secured to the stage. His blood ran cold, and all Tubbo could see was the scowl stained across Schlatt’s face.

“Let me cut to the fucking chase,” He growled, moving in close to the boy. “I know what you’ve been up to.”

“What have I been up to? Wh-what are you talking about?” Tubbo’s voice cracked, but it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter if the president could see past the façade and straight into the fear. In his heart he knew it was over.

“’What have I been up to’ he says. What have I been up to? You're _conspiring_ with the _tyrants_ who we kicked out of this country months ago.” The ferocity of his voice carried over the crowd, and it was suddenly clear to each person what was going on.

Tommy tried to run forward, but this time it was Wilbur who’s hand went up to stop him. They couldn’t expose themselves, not yet. If there was a chance they could save him it wouldn’t be by running in blindly. Techno was still there too. There was still hope.

All Tommy could do was watch on in horror as Tubbo cowered away from Schlatt. The dictator was inches away from him, leaning in close as he spoke loud enough for all to hear.

“I know what you've been doing Tubbo. It all adds up. The nervous looks, the long absences, the lies! Tubbo, don't try and tell me you've done nothing wrong, because everybody knows it. I’ve seen it with my own two fucking eyes.” Schlatt was beyond angry. This wasn’t emotionless hatred – this was deep seeded. “Do you remember what I told you about making choices? Do you know what happens to traitors Tubbo?”

The words hung heavy in the air. The boy had no response.

“They get punished.”

Tubbo shook his head. He pulled and yanked, trying to break out of the shackles pinning him to that stage. No one else seemed to move, each pair of eyes watching the events in morbid enthrallment.

“Please.. Schlatt.. you don’t have to do this. I’m sorry,” Tubbo cried. He was begging, pleading in hopes of finding the dictators last ounce of humanity. “I still care about this. I – I care about you.”

Schlatt stared at the ground, hands clenched into tight fists at his side. When he looked back to the boy there was more than just loathing – there was hurt. Schlatt’s eyes were glassy, and his bottom lip quivered in an almost uncatchable moment.

“You’re a traitor.” His voice was just above a whisper, rising in pitch as he tried to maintain his composure. “Tubbo, I’d rather die than rule with you at my side.”

Those words hurt more than Tubbo thought they could.

“Technoblade!” Schlatt’s voice boomed out once again, regaining its intense resonance. “Why don’t you come up here, we can set an example.”

Techno’s heart dropped the moment his name was called. Both Eret and Fundy were already on their feet when Techno rose, the two men looking at him with shocked expressions. There was no other option but to follow Schlatt’s demands, and with heavy steps Techno marched past the hundreds of onlookers and up to the stage. Niki had begun to weave through the people, making her way closer to the front of the stage and saying silent prayers that Tubbo would be safe.

“He doesn’t know Techno’s on our side,” Wilbur muttered to Tommy. “Techno wouldn’t do anything to hurt him.”

Still, seeing their ally stand at Schlatt’s side was agonizing. It was clear the man was beyond anxious, but there wasn’t anything he could do other than wait for a moment to get Tubbo out safe.

“Tubbo, as an enemy of the state, and as a perpetrator to these awful crimes, you’re hereby sentenced to a punishment fit for treason.” Techno was pushed forward, positioned with his back to the crowd looking Tubbo straight on. “Techno, if you would be so kind.”

“What are you asking of me Schlatt?” The warrior feigned ignorance, looking from side to side for any form of help. He prayed that Wilbur or Tommy would be there to give him any sort of sign, for there to be some way out of this mess. There was no one.

“Take care of him.” The tyrant commanded through gritted teeth.

“Schlatt..” Quackity took a step back from the podium, casting doubtful eyes on his president.

Techno looked around him, contemplating for a moment if he could use this as his chance to kill Schlatt instead. If he acted fast enough he may be able to escape, he could get away with it.

But that still left Tubbo trapped and at the mercy of Schlatt’s people.

“Fucking kill him Techno!” Schlatt finally yelled out, startling the other three men on the stage. “Take out your crossbow and shoot him!”

It was as though Technoblade lost control of his own body, reaching to grab the weapon strapped to his back.

“We don’t have to do this – we have him trapped, we can – ” Quackity tried to bargain, but the president cut him off.

“Just do it. Make it hurt.”

Techno didn’t have many options. He looked around him, seeing numerous armed men at the front of the crowd waiting to act on Schlatt’s behalf. The President and Vice President never let their eyes leave him, and from behind a building his allies watched in anticipatory dread. With a shaking hand and a hundred voices swarming his head, Techno reached to grab an arrow and place it in the weapon.

_Shoot Schlatt and leave. That’s all you came here for._

_Kill the boy first. Once he’s gone you can catch Schlatt off guard, and get Quackity too._

_Just run. You can still get out._

_Kill him._

_Kill them!_

All Techno could see were the tears in Tubbo’s eyes. He didn’t want to hurt him. Tommy would be devastated.

Tommy. The firework.

Ignoring every voice that swirled endlessly in his mind, he made his own choice. He nodded to Schlatt, subtly removing the explosive in his pocket and replacing the arrow with the firework.

“Tubbo, I’m sorry.” He pulled the string back, using the words as a distraction to light the end of the fuse. “I’m going to make this as painless as possible.”

Tubbo tried to back away, fear pulsing through his body as Techno aimed the crossbow straight at the boy’s chest. He watched as the flame made it’s way further and further up the string, finger on the trigger as he waited for the exact moment to fire the explosive. Schlatt didn’t notice, but Quackity did.

“Get down!”

Both Schlatt and Quackity tried to dive to the side as Techno launched the firework into Tubbo. An ear shattering bang, a burst of light, and there was nothing left to see but the smoke engulfing the stage.

Tommy screamed. Everyone moved at once.

The crowd dispersed, people running in all directions as the chaos broke out. Fundy and Eret tried to fight their way through the panic, unaware that Niki was only ten feet away with the exact same intent.

“Tommy go! Tommy GO!” Wilbur shoved the boy forward, both of them running towards the horrific scene. The teen was faster, adrenaline carrying him with no regard for what stood in his way. Wilbur tried to keep up, but a flash of an all too familiar face caught his attention. He paused, glancing between the stage and the crowd as he continued trying to fight his way up to the front.

Techno had been thrown onto his back from the impact of the explosion, his head pounding from the ringing in his ears. He could barely see the outline of the decimated podium through the settling dust, only able to make out Tubbo’s limp form as his hand still remained chained to the charred wood. He scrambled forward on his hands and knees, reaching out to the boy he’d just shot. The mechanism keeping the shackles together had been damaged, and Techno used all his strength to break it apart and free the boy’s wrist. Tubbo’s jacket was still burning, glowing lines of orange eating at the fabric. Techno ripped it away, ignoring the pain of his own skin burning as he pulled the smoldering cloth off of the teen’s body. He didn’t even have time to check for the boy’s pulse before a pair of hands shoved him onto his side.

“Get away from him!” Tommy yelled, rage the only thing fueling him as he dropped to his knees and held Tubbo’s face in his hands. The boy let out a faint groan, a whine of pain, and Tommy felt his whole body melt in relief. His best friend cringed in pain, face twisting in agony with each movement. “Tubbo.. Tubbo!”

Techno got back on his feet, now noticing Schlatt and Quackity recovering from the explosion as well. They didn’t have much longer before they would all be dead.

“We need to go!” Techno yelled over the shouting of everyone around them, “Tommy!”

“No!” The teen tried to fight Techno away, but the older man deflected his attempts.

“You can be angry with me later, but we have to run, _now_.” He pulled Tommy back, handing him the crossbow and scooping up Tubbo as carefully as he could. The boy still screamed in pain as his burns were scraped up against, the sounds echoing in both the rebel’s ears. Techno took the lead, running in the direction of Pogtopia with Tommy right on his heels.

“Tommy?” Schlatt coughed as he rose to his feet. “Everyone after Tommy Innit!”

Several men heeded the words of the president, breaking away from the throng of people and following the retreating men. Wilbur didn’t even try to keep his head down as he shoved past people, seeing that Techno and Tommy were already on their way to safety. Tommy was using the crossbow to fire at anyone trying to follow, managing to take a few down as they weaved through the streets of Manberg. Wilbur knew he should have followed them, but the danger was far from over.

In the clearing at the front of the stage he could see one girl standing strong, sword in her hand and head raised high to the tyrannical leader.

“How could you do this!” She yelled, stealing the attention off Tommy and the others. Schlatt stumbled to the edge of the platform, staring her down. “You tried to kill him!”

“Yeah! I did! I fucking killed him, Niki!” He spat back, leaning to one side as he limped closer.

Several voices shouted at her to stand down, Eret and Fundy included, but she didn’t relent. “After everything he’s done for you! You’re a monster, you don’t deserve to be standing there!”

“Niki, get back, please,” Quackity begged. Any remaining people had stilled, watching to see what would happen to the woman who dared pull a sword against the president.

“No, you know what, fuck her.” Schlatt ignored the injuries from the firework and jumped down to the ground. She took a step back as he reached to his side, drawing his sword and moving towards her. Before anyone else could step up to stop the advances, Wilbur was at her side.

“No.” Wilbur didn’t care about anything else. He didn’t care about the danger he put himself in or the explosives below their feet, all he wanted was to keep Niki safe.

“Wilbur Soot,” Schlatt cooed, a smirk falling over his face.

Wilbur reached out his hand to pull Niki behind him, trying not to get lost in the comfort of feeling her touch for the first time in months. “You’ve done enough harm to my people Schlatt. If you’re going to kill anyone else today, kill me.”

“I’m not going to kill anyone else,” Schlatt laughed, swinging his sword to the side as if it were no more than a play thing. “I mean, what do I look like, the bad guy?”

“You tried to murder Tubbo!” Wilbur exclaimed, “You were going to murder Niki!”

Schlatt laughed. It was a twisted and psychotic laugh. The laugh of a maniac. Wilbur wondered if he’d ever sounded the same way.

“You know what, yeah. I’d murder Niki. I’ll kill anyone who dares act against my country.” The president raised his sword again, this time with the intent to use it. On each side more men stepped forward to join the fray.

Niki looked to Eret, desperation shared between them, as he gave her a nod.

Schlatt brought his sword down on Wilbur, who deflected the first blow with ease. It was far from over though, and with each new hit more men came to put an end to the rebels. Niki readied her weapon, hands shaking uncontrollably. She never had to use it though; Eret stepped in, easily pushing back the advancing enemies and giving the two the chance to escape. Wilbur looked over, seeing the traitor now standing at his side, and something in him clicked.

“Niki, run.”

Wilbur took one last swing at Schlatt before turning and pulling her through the gap that Eret had provided. Neither had the chance to look back as they sprinted through the buildings and towards the concealment of the forest. Wilbur only checked enough to make sure there was no one on their trail. Either Eret had been enough to hold off the chase, or Schlatt had called off the men all together.

Through every conflicting emotion burning in Wilbur’s heart, all he could think about was Tubbo. Techno had shot him. A firework had hit him straight on. It would be a miracle if the boy were alive.

The chance of that miracle was what carried Niki and Wilbur through the forest. They’d nearly lost everything, but they couldn’t give up now. There was still something worth fighting for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. That was a lot for one chapter but OH BOY we aren't finished yet.
> 
> Also if I could draw I would 100% recreate the awkward encounter of everyone Not Having A Good Time in the VIP booth. I didn't even plan to write that whole blurb in until I realized just how messy the relations were in that group of people. It's honestly kind of funny to me imaging them all just tolerating each other and hoping it could be over soon. (As if that part of this chapter was the most focus worthy lol)


	18. Burn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Minor trigger warning at the beginning for description of burns and fist fighting. It's not too graphic, but I put in more description than usual so I'll add this just to be safe.

Techno had never moved so fast in his life. Everything around him was filtered out of his conscious mind as he ran towards Pogtopia. It wasn’t clear how badly Tubbo was hurt, but the fact that he was groaning in pain with each uneven step meant his nerves hadn’t been damaged, a good sign.

Wind whipped around the fleeing men, low hanging branches hit their skin, but nothing seemed to matter. There was only the urgency of escaping, of finding protection. But even once Tommy was sure no one was trailing them, he still didn’t feel safe. He was running along side a traitor, a murderer who was holding his best friend tight in his arms. The enemy wasn’t behind him, the enemy was next to him.

Techno knew things weren’t okay, even as the made it inside the walls of Pogtopia. Tommy was still distraught and Tubbo needed help. Wilbur was nowhere to be seen, and it was entirely possible that he hadn’t made it out of the festival alive. Everything had gone so incredibly wrong, and he knew it was all on him. If Wilbur didn’t come back, if it was just him and the two helpless boys, he’d have to step up and protect them. He just had to.

The ache of running without stopping hit once Techno kneeled down to lay Tubbo on the few blankets they had in Pogtopia. His hands were trembling as he tried to assess the injuries. He wasn’t a doctor, he didn’t know what to do. Tommy’s cries of anger went unacknowledged as Techno peeled away the charred clothing to assess Tubbo’s burns.

“Tommy, get water,” Techno demanded, cutting off the teen from whatever objections he was making. The words seemed to fly right past Tommy, and instead of helping Techno he pulled him back by the hood of his cloak.

“Don’t you fucking touch him!” He screamed, feeling the rage return. “You did this! You shot him!”

“I know!” Techno shoved Tommy off, returning to the unconscious victim. “I fucking know, Tommy!”

Tommy wanted to hurt him. He wanted to make Techno feel the same pain Tubbo was feeling. There was an uncontainable need to avenge the actions that had happened mere minutes ago, and despite Tommy’s rational mind screaming to let it go long enough for Techno to treat the wounds, his heart wouldn’t listen. All he knew was that Techno was a traitor. He’d followed orders to execute Tubbo.

“You – you tried to kill him! You tried to kill Tubbo!” That was all he could mutter as he took in wet, sobbing breaths. The boy was still in shock from watching the firework detonate into his best friend, his mind replaying the moment over and over again.

“ _Water_ Tommy!” Techno had managed to uncover the injured area fully now. Second degree burns covered Tubbo’s chest, running up his neck and down his arms. The burning cloth had caused the damage to spread all along the front of his torso, leaving blistering red patches in it’s wake.

Tommy caught sight of the damage, but before he could react Wilbur burst into the space with Niki short behind. Techno let out a silent prayer, looking to Wilbur with eyes that begged for help.

“Tubbo!” The leader exclaimed, falling to his knees next to Techno and immediately taking over. Niki was right there with canteens of water, helping pour it over the burned skin. Tubbo let out a helpless whimper, curling into himself at the sudden contact. Techno backed away, not able to bear the sight any longer. All he felt was guilt, guilt and remorse.

“What the fuck happened!” Wilbur let out a shuddering cry as he washed any lingering fabric and debris from the burns. “Technoblade you were supposed to be on our side.”

“I am on your side!” Techno shouted, pacing away and raking his hands through his hair. “I couldn’t just jeopardize – ”

“What do you mean you’re on our side? You tried to kill Tubbo!” Tommy screamed, finding the strength to run over and shove the traitor further away from the injured spy. Niki glanced back to the two, praying they could put aside their fight long enough to get the situation under control. It was clear neither had the headspace to handle the catastrophe, she had to be the one to rummage through their medical supplies and bring back every piece of bandage and clean cloth they had.

Techno wanted to leave right then and there, but he owed it to the people who’d trusted him to remain at their side, no matter how upset they were. “Tommy, I never wanted to hurt Tubbo! There was a reason I used the firework rather than an arrow. It was the only way to cause a distraction and get us out alive!”

“You could have shot Schlatt instead!” Tommy argued.

“I would have been killed the moment I aimed that crossbow at him! If I didn’t follow their orders, there were at least twenty men who would have jumped me, Tommy!”

Tubbo had begun to come back into consciousness as Wilbur wrapped the bandages around the blistering skin, each new layer bringing another wave of pain. Niki had helped prop him upright so Wil could wrap his chest, and the boy clung onto her as hard as he could.

“It’s okay, it’s okay Tubbo,” she whispered into his ear. Hearing the whimpers leave his mouth had caused her to start crying as well, a mixture of tears dropping onto the skirt of her dress. The fighting between Techno and Tommy hadn’t stopped, and their furious yells were only getting louder and more aggressive. The intense atmosphere was putting a strain on Wilbur. He tried to block it all out, focusing on Tubbo and Niki.

“You know what you are? You’re just another Schlatt,” Tommy spat at Techno, moving in closer to the traitor.

“We aren’t doing this right now. I’m not having this fight with you.” Techno pushed past the boy, doing whatever he could to remove himself from the hostile situation. He knew he would get aggressive if Tommy kept pushing the envelope, but he also knew the words were coming from a hysterical teenager. Nothing would be resolved right now, and he didn’t want the night to end any worse than it already had.

“Tommy, please.” Niki tried to coax the boy down from his emotions. Wilbur had finished tying off the last of the bandages and tried to lower Tubbo back onto the blankets, but the teen gave a weak head shake, using Niki to remain upright.

“If you’re going to walk away you better leave. I want you to get the hell out of here!” Tommy demanded. Techno paused, not allowing himself to give into the words so easily.

“Tommy..” Tubbo’s words were so small that his friend didn’t even register them, advancing on Techno instead.

“You’re a traitor!” Tommy shoved him again, the man caught himself as he stumbled back. “You nearly killed Tubbo!”

Techno stood his ground, towering over Tommy.

“Tommy, don’t do this,” Tubbo begged, gripping Niki even tighter than before, but his words were drowned out by Tommy’s continuous yells of anger.

“You’re a fucking traitor!” This time Tommy swung his fist, aiming right for Techno’s face. The older man easily dodged it, taking a step away. Wilbur shot to his feet, calling out for Tommy to back off. The words fell on deaf ears. Tommy swung again, catching Techno in the chest. The hit barely phased the warrior, who tried to back even further away.

“You don’t want to do this Tommy,” he warned, deflecting another punch with his arms. Tommy never relented, throwing swing after swing, each one getting harder, faster, and much more accurate. Techno tried to catch Tommy’s hands and throw him off, but the adrenaline fueling the boys movements was a powerful enemy. A well placed swing landed right along Techno’s jaw, sending the metallic taste of blood immediately onto his tongue.

“Tommy!” He barked, swiping at his lip. His words had no effect, Tommy only stopped long enough to flex his fingers and shake away the pain from his split knuckles. Words wouldn’t get through to the teen now. They were in far too deep.

The next time Tommy’s hand came into range Techno grabbed it, twisting it and shoving it back. He used the vulnerability to punch Tommy across the nose. His fist landed hard, Tommy lurched to the side, but it wasn’t enough to deter him. He was back up as soon as he recovered from the blow, but he didn’t have time to try and land another hit before Techno’s elbow flew into his jaw. Tommy faltered, pushing past the pain to throw his hand into Techno’s stomach. He wasn’t going to lose, he wouldn’t give up.

Techno knew that as well, which was why he had no choice but to end it. He grabbed Tommy’s shoulder, kneeing him in the stomach and throwing one final punch into the side of the boys head. Tommy fell to the side, curling up and rolling onto his stomach. That was it. It was done.

Wilbur, Niki, and Tubbo all watched in shocked silence as Techno’s chest rose and fell in heavy pants. He stood over Tommy, but this fight wasn’t a victory by any means. They’d both lost.

“What happened here stays here.” Techno backed away, allowing Tommy time to catch his breath and calm down. Techno hadn’t paid any attention to the state of the teen, too focused on trying to put down the fight before it got any worse. He didn’t want to see the boy’s face. That was the second child he’d harmed that night, another naïve boy who was only trying to do what he thought was right. Technoblade was a monster, that he was sure of. He didn’t need Tommy to tell him, he was already well aware.

Tommy’s entire body coursed in pain. His unsteady arms did the best they could to prop up his upper half, allowing him to bring one hand to his face. It was immediately covered in deep red blood, and he could feel more dripping down his chin. It took all his remaining energy to pull himself onto his hands and knees.

Throughout the ravine, all that could be heard were Tubbo’s sobs. No one dared to move. They were all at a loss. Every trial they’d endured had led up to this moment, with bloody knuckles and broken trust, they’d lost everything. If all they had was each other, that was gone too.

“I’m okay Tommy..” The words were finally heard, and Tommy let go of the rage burning in his chest. It left behind emptiness. He did his best to wipe the blood from his face, smearing red across his coat sleeve, and squeezed his eyes shut.

“I thought I could trust you Techno. You were there when no one else was.” Tommy’s voice was broken, weak. “But I was wrong. You never cared about me. You never cared about any of us. You’re only here to destroy the things we love.”

Technoblade looked down at Tommy, staring past the blood and sweat and peering deep into his eyes. Someone had to tell him the truth, because despite the hell Tommy had been through, he still didn’t seem to understand.

“You’re using words, but the thing about this world, Tommy, is that the only universal language is violence. We’ve had that conversation. We’ve spoken that language. It’s over.”

Those were the last words he said, and then he was gone. He didn’t take anything with him as he marched out of the ravine and into the violent night, desperate to get away from the misery he’d caused. Too much innocent blood had been spilled that night.

Everyone in Pogtopia had come to understand the same truth: their world was dark and twisted and unforgiving.

Niki hadn’t left Tubbo’s side all night. She didn’t sleep, she couldn’t if she wanted to. All her attention was focused on the boy’s chest gently rising and falling, watching for any subtle change in his movements. Every few minutes he would twitch or shift, letting out a whimper. It was either pain or nightmares, possibly both. At one point Niki had pulled Tubbo close and placed his head in her lap, gently running her fingers through his hair. It seemed to help comfort him. 

She couldn’t help but think back to Eret’s home, when the three of them spent the night together. It had been perfect, one evening of nothing but joy. It seemed so unattainable now. Niki couldn’t imagine being so happy or carefree again. What should have been a step closer to overthrowing Schlatt had actually set them back further than ever. Almost losing Tubbo was devastating. She didn’t know if Eret was alive. Everyone in Pogtopia had deteriorating mental states. There was no longer a hope to hold onto.

For as long as she could remember she tried to be the optimistic one. When everyone else was suffering, she was there to comfort them. Niki had to come to terms with the fact that she didn’t have the strength to do that anymore. She needed someone to be there for her instead. 

From across the ravine Wilbur also sat wide eyed and contemplative for hours on end. His mind had finally settled and without the high-stake situation consuming him, he began to wonder if he’d made the right choice. 

When he was standing behind that building with Tommy, he’d made the preemptive decision not to detonate the explosives. Seeing the people who would suffer from his actions had made him guilt ridden, he wasn’t sure he could have pressed that button if he wanted to. If it weren’t for the people there would be nothing holding him back. He had no attachment to Manberg or Schlatt, he would have gladly watched it blow up. But perhaps that was the point that Tommy was trying to make all along, that the people were the ones who mattered more than the government position he had been seeking revenge for.

Obviously, he wouldn’t have detonated the TNT with Tubbo chained to the podium. No matter what had happened, Manberg wouldn’t have been destroyed that day. No one could have known about Schlatt’s plan, it seemed that even Quackity wasn’t aware of the public execution. It was premeditated though, that was certain. Wilbur felt sick as he began to realize that the festival was a front for Tubbo’s murder all along. 

Wilbur wanted to rest his mind for just one night, but their situation had only become more complicated now. Just because the festival was over didn’t mean the war was. The TNT was still there, the button was still there, and as far as Wilbur knew Schlatt was none the wiser. The decision was still yet to be made. If Wilbur was going to blow up Manberg he would need to make that choice sooner rather than later. 

No natural light could be seen from the ravine of Pogtopia. It had certainly skewed the natural rhythms of everyone who’d been living there for months, which was why Wilbur would often check the outside world before he began each day. As long as there was a hint of light coming from the east, he allowed himself to start his tasks. If it was still dark he’d sit outside and wait for the blackened sky to shift into purples and pinks. It was the only time he felt sane.

When he checked that morning he could already see the sunrise, so he made his way back into the ravine right away. He only lit one lantern, moving it slowly around the space to take note of where everyone was. Techno was still missing. It was entirely possible that he wouldn’t come back at all. Tommy was obviously enraged, Niki and Tubbo would likely feel a similar disdain, even Wilbur wasn’t sure if he could forgive him so easily. He’d be an enemy amongst those who were formerly his allies. 

Tommy was sleeping near the remains of the previous night’s fire, curled up with jagged breaths leaving his blood stained face. He hadn’t bothered to wash away the evidence of the fight. Dried blood covered his hands, both his and Techno’s. Bruises had formed along his nose and jaw, deep purple. Only a few feet away Tubbo slept close to Niki. The white bandages covering his chest and neck were peeking out from under the blanket. Wilbur knew they wouldn’t be enough alone to heal the burns underneath them, they would need to find a balm to spread over the area. Despite the extensive injuries Tubbo seemed to be in a deep sleep. He didn’t wake as Niki shifted, looking up to Wilbur with tired eyes. 

The boys were both asleep, Techno was gone, they were effectively alone together for the first time in months. A lingering stare was shared between them before Niki slowly rose to her feet, making sure Tubbo was comfortable before moving to gingerly grab Wilbur’s hand. This was the man she loved, so she thought. It should have been a joyous reunion, despite the tribulations of the festival. Niki could sense that something was off though, she knew the moment she laid eyes on him that Wilbur wasn’t himself.

He led her up the steps, back into the early morning light. He blew out the lantern, letting the smoke swirl away into the brisk air. Winter was just over the horizon and the leaves on the trees had already begun to brown and fall. The world around them was dying too.

“You’re not okay, are you?” Niki wasn’t sure what else to say. Wilbur lowered his head, refusing to meet her eyes; it hadn’t been intentional, but a part of him assumed he’d never see her again. He’d given up the idea that he could find joy in the life he once knew, that included Niki as well.

“Depends who you ask,” he replied, taking a small step away from her. 

“I’m asking you.”

He finally looked at her. As soon as he did, he felt his mind relax. This was Niki, she was always there to support him. If there was anyone who could understand his state of mind it would be her. 

“I’m.. trying to figure that out,” he paced to the side, mind beginning to kick into gear. “I thought I knew what I wanted, but now I’m not sure anymore. It was all planned out, it was all ready..”

Niki gave him a confused look, stepping up to his side, “What was planned? What aren’t you sure about?”

Wilbur rubbed his face, trying to find the right words. “Everything we had, it’s gone, right? L’Manberg, Manberg, none of that matters anymore. We’ve lost it all.”

“We haven’t lost it yet Wil,” Niki tried to reason, “L’Manberg isn't gone.”

“It is Niki. But that’s fine, because it means we have nothing left to lose.” Wilbur had regained that air of excitement in his voice as he spoke. It scared Niki. She’d never seen him behave like this. 

“Wil.” She reached out to grab his arm, gently pulling him towards her. He moved in, now feeling a renewed sense of confidence.

“Everyone has turned their backs on us! It’s exactly what I said. No one’s on our side, everyone’s just listening to whoever’s got the most power.”

“That’s not true – ”

“Niki. We can end it all.”

She pulled herself out of his grip, taking a wary step back. “What do you mean, we can end it all?”

“We can blow it up. We can finish the job I started at the festival.”

Niki was horrified at the words she heard. It all had to be a dream, an awful nightmare. Surely Wilbur hadn’t wanted to destroy L’Manberg. He couldn’t.

“You – you wanted to blow it up?”

Wilbur chuckled, nodding. “It’s the only way to end this.”

“No.” Niki backed even further away from him. “No, this isn’t you. You’re sick Wil.”

He followed after her, trying to reach out and hold her again. “Listen to me! I know what it sounds like, but this is the only way we win! Everyone has abandoned us, and they’ve abandoned their country. There’s nothing left to hold onto!”

“That’s not true Wil! I’m still here with you! Tommy, Tubbo, Eret, they’re with you!” She tried to reason, still not wanting to get close to him. “If you blew up the festival, everyone there would have died! I would have died! Is that what you wanted?”

Wilbur recoiled at the thought, but he didn’t let that deter him from his supposed truth. “I want L’Manberg gone. I can’t let Schlatt ruin the people I love anymore.”

Niki had no more words, she simply shook her head with her mouth agape. “You are not the man I know. You are not the man I fell in love with.”

“Niki – ”

“No!” Tears welled up in her eyes as she batted away Wilbur’s outreached hand. “If this is what you want, then I’m not with you. I cannot stand by a man who is willing to throw everything away, after everything we went through to build it up.”

She turned on her heels, not looking back as she left Wilbur alone. She would not indulge his insane ideas. All this time she thought she was fighting for L’Manberg’s president, yet it turned out that she was really supporting it’s enemy.

And if she had to fight against Wilbur to save L’Manberg, she would.

There was no cabinet meeting the morning after the festival. None of the scheduled volunteers met in the square to help take down the festival decorations. Banners bearing the nations new flag remained as ghosts of the abhorrent event. The city looked eerily similar to how it did when Schlatt was first elected; citizens remained in their homes, too afraid of what lay outside. Manberg was still, quiet, save for the wind pushing paper and debris across the ground that witnessed the previous night’s bloodshed.

Fundy and Quackity met in private in the empty tavern. Neither had heard from Schlatt since the chaos broke out. They both retreated with the crowd after Schlatt and his men put an end to the brawl. No one had died, at least as far as they knew. All that was certain was that Manberg was in shambles, and its president was nowhere to be seen.

Doors were locked and shutters were drawn, the two remaining cabinet members sat apprehensively in the middle of the empty building. It felt as though their actions were illicit, that if Schlatt walked in they would both be reprimanded. After witnessing the horror of the festival they were all too aware of the lengths the president would go to.

“What the hell man..” Quackity had his head in his hands, propped up by the oak table he sat at. Fundy was leaning back in his chair, nervously chewing his lip.

“Did you know?” He questioned, though the distraught state of the Vice President gave him answer enough. 

“No.” Quackity shook his head slowly. “No, I had no idea.”

Both were at a loss for words. Fundy was especially disturbed, he had no idea where Tubbo was or if he was okay. Had he known the purpose of the festival was to publicly execute his close friend he would have done anything to stop it. Fundy couldn’t help but feel guilty for letting it all happen; his shock had prevented him from doing anything, completely frozen. 

“I never thought Schlatt would do anything so..” Quackity paused, trying to find a word that didn’t sound sour coming from his mouth. “ _Heartless_.”

Fundy gave a bleak nod in response. He hadn’t known Schlatt before Manberg, but most of what he’d seen was admirable. Schlatt may have been intense, but he had a vision for a better nation. It wasn’t until now that Fundy fully realized that he didn’t know Schlatt. “You were with him out there, before you two came to L’Manberg. What was he like?”

Quackity stiffened, looking to the door. “Well.. Look, Fundy. The people we were out there, that wasn’t who we really are.”

“How do you know?”

“Because it was kill or be killed out there. Every day you had to worry about monsters eating you or your ally stabbing you in the back. There was no security. We had to do whatever it took to survive,” Quackity’s voice fell quiet as he spoke.

Fundy could tell the subject was sore, but it didn’t mean that he could ignore it. “But how did you know who Schlatt really was?”

“Because he stood by me.” Quackity gave a firm reply. “When everyone else turned their backs on us, he and I stuck together. He promised that we’d make it out of the wasteland. When it was just the two of us, barely clinging onto life, he told me about a special place where we could go and be the leaders we were meant to be. That we could avenge everyone else who was tossed aside and abandoned. And I followed him.”

Their was a strain in Quackity’s voice, he was fighting back tears. Schlatt had been his closest friend for years, and to now have to question a decades worth of companionship was taking a toll.

“You weren’t wrong to trust him Alex,” Fundy comforted. “I followed him too. I thought he could do great things for L’Manberg, he seemed to want to make our country better. He gave me the authority I craved, and I fell into his promises of greatness.”

“So were we wrong?” Quackity dropped his hands to his side. He didn’t want to be the one to admit it.

“Schlatt still did good things.. but he’s done terrible things as well,” Fundy reasoned.

“The Schlatt I thought I knew would never have publicly executed a teenager in front of an entire nation.” Quackity hated saying the words, but they were true. It would do no good to make excuses anymore. “That isn’t the kind of person I want to follow.”

Neither knew what that meant for them. They had come to an agreement that they wouldn’t stand by Schlatt’s choices, but where did that leave them? They had no idea where Wilbur or Tommy were hiding out, they wouldn’t be able to contact them if they wanted to. At the same time, they didn’t want to remain in a cabinet that was governed by a violent President. They were stuck, no side to turn to and having no one but each other to trust.

“What do we do?” Fundy asked meekly. Quackity slowly stood, moving over to the drawn blinds to look out on the street outside. It was still empty.

“We lay low. Don’t let Schlatt or anyone else know about our conversation. You saw what he did to Tubbo.. I’m fairly sure he’d kill us the moment we let slip any sign of disloyalty.” Quackity grabbed his jacket off the coat rack, tossing Fundy his as well. “We need to stick together. You’re the only person I have right now Fundy.”

Fundy nodded in agreement, quickly slipping his jacket back on and walking over to give Quackity a reassuring touch.

“We do what’s right for the people. We do what’s right for L’Manberg.”

The only sign that Technoblade had returned to Pogtopia was the sack full of bandages and ointment left on top of their medical supplies. He didn’t say where he’d gotten them – he didn’t say anything at all, avoiding everyone else there and retreating to his secluded spot on top of the rocky wall. That was for the best, tensions were as high as ever in the rebel’s ravine.

“Tommy,” Niki called softly, motioning for the boy to sit next to her and Tubbo. “Let me clean you up.”

Niki had just redressed Tubbo’s burns using the new medical supplies. He was sat with his back against the cold stone, appreciating the chill that soothed his skin. He still felt warmth over the affected areas, like the ghost of the flames were still there.

Tommy was reluctant, but allowed Niki to take a wet cloth to his face. He flinched as she pressed it into his bruised nose, earning a faint apology from her as she tried to gently wash the dried blood away. With his face cleaned she could see the extent of the damage. It wasn’t anything permanent, but he would be sporting the injuries for a while.

“Give me your hands,” she started to reach for them before he offered, her statement more of a courtesy than a request. She examined his knuckles, washing away any blood as she went. “I’m going to wrap these up.”

“No, save the bandages for Tubbo,” he denied.

“Tommy, it’s fine.” Tubbo gave him a weak smile. Tommy still tried to say no, but didn’t fight it when Niki forcefully wrapped a few layers around his injured hands.

“The last thing we need is for you to get an infection.”

With both the boys now taken care of, she decided to leave them on their own for a bit. She needed to get fresh air anyway. Her conversation with Wil that morning was still weighing on her mind, and she needed to process it.

After a temporary goodbye and a solemn look from Wilbur she was off, not allowing anyone to follow her. She’d taken her sword, which eased the minds of everyone there. She was strong, in fact, she was likely the only one in Pogtopia who had the capacity to handle their situation.

Tommy was glad to finally have Tubbo with him in Pogtopia, but the circumstance that led him there weighed heavy on the teen. He couldn’t help but apologize over and over again, despite the fact that it wasn’t his fault. Tubbo tried to tell him that, but nothing seemed to get through to Tommy.

Tubbo had been incredibly calm since the festival. It could have been shock, but he didn’t feel the same anger or betrayal he was supposed to. It was like his mind had reset. All that mattered was that Tommy and Wilbur and everyone else were safe, and that L’Manberg hadn’t been blown to smithereens.

“Is there anything I can get you? You haven’t eaten all day,” Tommy offered.

“Neither have you,” Tubbo commented back. “I’m fine though. Not really hungry.”

“Okay.”

The two sat in comfortable silence for a while. There wasn’t much to discuss. It felt strange talking about something casual when they were in such a despondent situation.

“Tommy.”

“Yeah?”

“I forgive Technoblade.”

Tommy turned his body to give his friend a confused stare. “What do you mean you forgive him?”

“I mean I forgive him. I’m not mad at him.”

That took a few moments to register in Tommy’s head. Why was Tubbo so quick to have grace for the man who almost killed him? Tommy wondered if the firework had caused any brain damage, that was the only logical explanation for why Tubbo was behaving that way.

“He tried to kill you,” he said.

“No he didn’t.” Tubbo turned his head to look at Tommy, feeling the sting of the burns that snaked up his neck. “He tried to cause a distraction. It was the only way we would have both gotten out alive.”

“But.. but he – ” Tommy stammered.

“Techno was right, if he would have gone against Schlatt’s orders he and I would both be dead. I would have done the same if I were him.” Tubbo turned back to looking forward. “You know, the firework didn’t actually hit me.”

Tommy squinted his eyes. “Really?”

“Yeah. At least, I don’t think it did. I didn’t feel it hit me, I just felt the explosion, and then I was down. Techno waited until the last second to fire it.” Tubbo recalled, strangely calm as he described the moment. Tommy shivered, not wanting to relive that memory again.

“He still betrayed us though.”

Tubbo nodded slowly, letting his words spill out without much thought.

“If anything, I feel more betrayed by Schlatt.” Tommy shot him a confused look. Tubbo hesitated. He didn’t want to admit his attachment to the president, but it was better not to keep secrets. “I know it may seem stupid, but I kind of thought Schlatt and I were close. I know he did terrible things, but there’s still a bit of good in everyone, surely. I thought maybe he had enough good left in him to settle this whole thing without hurting anyone.”

“Oh.” Was all Tommy said in reply.

Tubbo let his hand fall towards his friend, holding it open for him. “It’ll all be okay, I think.”

Tommy forced a smile onto his lips, carefully grabbing Tubbo’s hand. Maybe it would be.


	19. Moments That the Words Don't Reach

The air in Dream’s manor was heavy. It pulled everyone down, like waterlogged clothes that dragged their heads beneath the waves of a stormy ocean. It was the night after the festival, the night after Tubbo’s attempted execution, and the officers wanted answers to the stinging suspicions of disloyalty Dream’s actions had planted.

On one side of the large meeting table sat George and Sapnap, chairs nearly touching as they leaned in close to each other in hushed whispers. Eret was in the middle, trying his best to keep his head down and figure out where he laid in the minds of the others. At the opposite end of the table sat an empty chair, taunting Sapnap and George with its vacancy. The three men could hear the creaking of floorboards upstairs. Dream was pacing. He was never this anxious. 

It took a good ten minutes before the king finally made his way down the grand steps, feeling eyes glued to him as he slowly took his seat. He should have known that things would come crashing down. He couldn’t have his foot in both camps, that was something he should have realized from the start. It was inevitable that the conflict would reach a point like this, and had he actually followed his brain rather than his heart, he might have avoided this confrontation all together. 

“So.” George’s voice was strained, as though he hadn’t used it in days. “Are you going to tell us what’s going on?”

Dream took an uneven breath, catching Eret’s expectant stare out of the corner of his eye. He wished Eret wasn’t there to begin with, he wouldn’t have to worry about playing to both sides. He wasn’t the one who set up the meeting though. George had been adamant about Eret being there, wanting all the answers. His involvement was obvious, they’d heard about how Eret stood against Schlatt the night of the festival. At that point it seemed as though sides were being drawn, and neither knew which one Dream fell on. The king knew that someone would walk out of that council unhappy.

“What do you want to know?”

Sapnap shifted uncomfortably, eyeing George as though to encourage him not to hold back. George bit the inside of his cheek, hesitating for a moment before finding the courage to stand up for himself. “Why did you tell us to leave before Tubbo’s speech started?”

“I..” Dream let his head fall into his hands. His friends already knew there were secrets being kept, but how much did Dream need to disclose? If he told them one piece of the puzzle, the rest would inevitably fall into place. Yet at the same time, what he expected to happen, in fact, didn’t. How was he supposed to explain the entire situation?

“You knew, didn’t you?” Sapnap’s voice was cold. Despite having a rivalry with the founding members of Essempee, even Sapnap and George knew it was twisted to stage a festival as a front for Tubbo’s death. Dream immediately shook his head in denial.

“No - no, I know how this all looks but I didn’t know about any of that.”

“Then why did we leave right before it happened?”

Dream glanced sadly to Eret, knowing the Pogtopia supporter likely had no idea of Wilbur’s descent. He hadn’t wanted to reveal the truth about the dangerous explosives beneath the city’s feet - explosives that by all accounts would still be there. “We had to leave, because there was TNT planted all around the festival. It was going to be detonated after Tubbo’s speech ended.”

The two officers shared stunned expressions, but nothing matched the horror behind Eret’s eyes. The idea of his home - his real home - being blown to smithereens was almost too much to imagine. 

“What?” Eret was exasperated, leaning in towards Dream as though being closer would give him answers.

“Who.. how did you know?” George furthered. Dream sucked in a deep breath, knowing this was it. The truth was coming out, and both parties would suffer at his next set of words.

“Wilbur told me. He was the one who was going to blow it up.”

The room fell to silence once more. Eret was frozen in place, eyes darting back and forth as he struggled to form a coherent sentence. Dream’s closest friends were shocked, but more than that, they were hurt. If Dream had known all along, why had he let them go in the first place? Why had he let anyone go? Had the explosion actually happened, there would have been so many casualties. 

“I should have told you sooner,” Dream admitted, not daring to look anyone in the eyes.

Sapnap gave him a hardened stare, one that Dream didn’t see. “We could have died.”

“I would never have let that happen.” Dream stood up from his chair, feeling himself burn at the very thought. “I’m trying to do what’s best for _everyone_ , you have no idea how hard that is!”

George joined in, raising his own question. “How did you hear about it in the first place? Wilbur’s meant to be exiled. Why the hell would he tell _you_ of all people?”

A strong gust of wind rattled the large windows looking out over Essempee and Manberg, neither country visible through the evening fog. Dream couldn’t bring himself to admit what he’d been doing. He knew trust was the most important thing, and the trio had already been through their trials in the past. This would tear them apart. 

Eret had been silent up until that moment. He realized Dream wasn’t going to disclose the truth, not on his own at least. He leaned back in his chair, feeling a sense of relief as his deep voice filled the void in conversation. “He’s been working with Wilbur and Tommy since the beginning. He’s on their side.”

It was truly the calm before the storm, there was only a brief emptiness before the two sides lunged at each other, shouting across the oak table in a flurry of demands and excuses. Eret watched it happen. He didn’t revel in the fighting by any means, but the truth was long overdue. Either George and Sapnap would come around and realize that their petty hatred of L’Manberg was doing more harm than good, or Dream would go back on his promise with Tommy. It was out of his hands, all he could do was watch the three men go head to head as they tried to figure out exactly what had been happening over the past few months.

“You two never seemed to realize how much of a threat Schlatt is to Essempee,” Dream accused, shouting over his friends. “You were too caught up on watching L’Manberg fall that you didn’t stop to think what would happen when he got bored of fucking with their country. Do you really think he’s going to be satisfied, that he won’t try and take over our country too?”

“People have already tried to fight us twice and lost, clearly we outmatch any opponent out there!” Sapnap retorted.

“It doesn’t even matter whether or not Schlatt tried to attack us, you went behind our backs!” George tried to mask his pain with his anger, but it was apparent that he was hurt. “We’re supposed to work as a team. Just because you’re the one in charge doesn’t mean you get to make decisions behind our backs. You’re no better than Wilbur.”

That statement was enough to shake Dream from his defensive stance, and he physically backed down. He was at a loss, finding himself floating in the middle of the conflict. This wasn’t what he wanted. He wasn’t going to play the middle man, and he certainly wasn’t going to let Schlatt tear apart his country. The problem was, more damage was being done trying to oppose Schlatt than if he had stayed out of it all together.

“I’m done,” Dream declared, causing everyone at the table to stare at him expectantly. He sank back into his chair, defeated, arms raised up as though surrendering. “Wilbur’s on his own.”

Eret leaned further into the table, letting his disapproval show through as the other two began to calm at the promise. His iron stare shifted from Dream to Sapnap and George, having already accepted the fact that Dream would rather blindly follow his friends than stand for what was right. It was a choice he knew all too well, and yet he still loathed Dream’s decision. 

With the newfound silence Eret rose, strong and commanding, as he made his way over to the door. 

“Where are you going?” Sapnap spat, stepping forward to stop him. Eret swiveled, straightening up and pushing his chest out. It took them all aback, the man was always so gentle despite his imposing demeanor. Now, he dropped that, staring past Sapnap at Dream.

“I’m going to stand by _my_ friends.” He undid the belt that held his beautifully crafted sword - the one made from Dream’s finest metals - and threw it on the ground. “Take back everything you gave me. I’m not coming back. If the next time we see each other face to face is on opposite sides, then so be it.”

All three watched as Eret swung his deep red cape over his shoulders, the fabric skimming across the stone surface in a soft ripple as he pushed through the doors, and out of Dream’s manor. 

Not hearing a word from Schlatt had put Quackity on edge. It wasn’t like him to close himself off - at least, it wasn’t like him when he was coping in a positive way. Quackity had seen Schlatt shut down a few times before. It had taken a while for the trust to build up between them, but after their bond was formed the two felt safe enough to confide in one another. Rarely was there anything more to say than how miserable they were out in the lawless wilderness, but it was still uplifting to have someone to share in the struggle with.

This seclusion seemed darker though. It was no longer about the trials they had to overcome to survive; they had a safe place to live, they had power, the only thing left to hurt was much deeper. 

There were no lights on in the main room of the white house. The desks were frozen in time. Papers were scattered across the surfaces, documents were halfway completed, Quackity even saw Tubbo’s jacket resting on the back of his chair. Everyone had left the space intending to return to it like normal the next day. Now it only stood to serve as a cruel reminder of the crumbling within the cabinet.

From beneath the door to Schlatt’s office a faint light shone through the crack. The only sound coming from inside was the almost rhythmic thumping of a bottle being lifted up and placed back onto a surface. Quackity took a cautious step up and knocked on the door.

“I’m busy.” Schlatt’s voice rang out, words slurred enough to give evidence of his lack of sobriety. 

“It’s Alex.” Silence followed, and Quackity thought for a moment that Schlatt would turn him away. However, eventually he heard the sound of boots shuffling across the floor. When the door was pulled open he gave a concerned look to his President.

Schlatt was disheveled. His hair hadn’t been combed, his shirt wasn’t fully buttoned, and his face had an emptiness to it. As soon as Quackity stepped into the space, which smelled greatly of alcohol, Schlatt went back to flop into his desk chair. It was becoming all too common that the President would find himself there, with a supposed friend at the other side of his desk. So far everyone who had stood opposite him had turned their back. He silently hoped that streak would end.

“I don’t wanna talk,” Schlatt blurted before Quackity could say anything. “I’m done talking.”

Quackity’s shoulders slumped, feeling slighted. He understood the pressure Schlatt was under, but at the same time, he couldn’t just toss aside his responsibilities and closest friend. What happened the afternoon prior was horrendous, and it simply wasn’t an option for him to refuse to speak of it. 

“You can’t just pretend nothing happened.”

“Watch me.”

It took everything in Quackity’s power not to explode at the President, and had it not been for the obvious emotional turmoil he would have. He hated this side of Schlatt, the cold and detached side. “I understand you’re upset, but - ”

“Upset?” Schlatt let out a morbid chuckle. “Why would I be upset?”

Quackity gave him a dumbfounded look, but stumbled to find the words to prove his point. “You - the whole festival - it all went to shit! And you tried to kill Tubbo! Where the hell did that come from?”

The President let out a displeased groan, standing to his feet and shaking his head in large swings. “God Alex, you’re such an _idiot_.” He got to the opposite side of the room before swiveling to face him again. “Yeah, I tried to kill Tubbo! So what?”

“What do you mean, ‘so what?’, you were going to have him executed in front of the whole goddamn country! You can’t pull shit like that, not to anyone, but especially not to Tubbo. Schlatt, we cared about him - you cared about him - ”

“No I didn’t!” He growled in response, throwing the empty bottle in his hand to the ground. “He meant nothing to me, got it! No one here means a fucking thing to me! Everyone’s a coward. They’re rats.”

Quackity tried not to let those words touch him, tried to convince himself that he wasn’t included in that group of people that meant nothing. He took a step forward, holding his own against the increasingly irate President. “Then why are you even here? You told me we could make something good, that we could help people.”

Schlatt let out another laugh, falling forward ever so slightly. “Really, Alex, I didn’t think you were this stupid.” The Vice President furrowed his brow, more calculated laughter left Schlatt's lips. “I’m here for _control_. I’m here for _power_. I’m not trying to make some fairytale utopia where we all hold hands and skip around in a fucking field of daisies.”

“But.. you told me - ”

“I know what I told you,” Schlatt interjected. “But you know what I realized? Humans are monsters. We hurt each other, we tear each other down, no one cares about anything but their own personal gain. That’s the real world. No one. Cares. About anyone else.”

He held up his pointer finger at the last few words, clenching the rest of his fingers in a tight fist. Quackity was lost for words. This wasn’t the man he’d run for president with. This wasn’t the person he thought he knew. Quackity always thought that leaving the cruelty of the wastes would turn his soul brighter; instead, he’d lost his humanity all together.

“Well I’m not here for power,” Quackity asserted. Schlatt gave no more attention to the statement than a puff of air out his nose and a turn of his head. “I’m serious. I trusted you, you made me believe we were coming here for a good reason. I’ll you’ve done since you’ve been here is hurt people!”

“And how is that any different from the past ten years, huh? All we’ve ever known is hurting people!”

“This is different! You’re the president, you have an obligation to protect and serve these people!”

“You think that’s what authority is?” Schlatt spat. “You think that you can get ahead by giving handouts and bending to everyone’s will?”

“It was never about getting ahead, don’t you get it!” Quackity felt himself beginning to tear up. “I never cared about the titles, or the money, or the control. And I thought you didn’t either, so maybe I am stupid!”

Schlatt stared at him. For a moment Alex thought he might back down, but instead he just smiled arrogantly down at him. “I suppose you are.”

He left Quackity there, face warm and holding back his emotions as he cooly walked over to the bar shelf to pop open another bottle. He didn’t even care. 

“You can find a new Vice President. I’m not doing this shit anymore.”

Schlatt turned to face him, skepticism in his eyes. “You’re gonna leave? Where you gonna go, huh?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Alex let his cold stare linger. “I’m not doing this. From day one I told you why I was here. You knew, and you used me. I meant nothing - no one in your cabinet meant anything to you!”

The glass bottle slammed into the table as Schlatt brought his fist down. “Well it turned out that my cabinet was made up of fucking idiots! Look who I got to help me run my country! Tubbo went behind my back the whole time, Fundy’s nothing more than a mindless drone, and you -” his face turned sour. “You.. you’re pathetic. Without me you would have been dead and forgotten years ago.”

That was enough. He’d heard all he needed to, now he understood the truth. All this time he’d thought that this side of Schlatt wasn’t really him, that it was a product of the stress and demands of being President. It wasn’t until now that the truth was made clear: _this_ was the real Schlatt. It had all been an act until now.

Quackity was silent as he left, never turning back to look at Schlatt, not letting him see the tears that spilled freely down his cheeks. 

It wasn’t raining, but the air still somehow felt damp. The approaching winter was bringing cold sweeping across the land, and each breath Eret took was visible even in the dim light of the moon and the street lanterns. He knew if he were caught walking down the streets of   
L’Manberg he’d be killed on the spot, but that didn’t deter him. At that moment he had no one at his side. Dream had turned away from Pogtopia, he was unwelcomed in both countries he’d once called home, and Niki - the one thing he had left - was gone. All he could do was pray that she was safe in that ravine, but after hearing about the news of Wilbur’s plans, he was beginning to lose faith in the supposed safe haven. 

Determination was what propelled him down that empty dirt road and towards the one place he could think to go. His feet found a hidden joy in the path, imagining the familiar walk under different circumstances - a game of chess with friends, a round of drinks after a long day’s work, a night of music and dancing..

He stopped at the door of Fundy’s tavern, his hand refusing to meet the handle. It was late, it was probably closed, but he had to try. Something in his gut forced him to forget the hateful stares he’d endured for so many months and think back to better times. 

When he pulled on the door it was quickly caught on the locking mechanism. Eret’s shoulder’s untensed. He squeezed his eyes shut and leaned forward to rest his head on the wooden entrance, breathing in the cold evening air. 

“Eret?” 

The small voice jolted him upright, spinning to see Quackity alone in the middle of the road. He held a dying lantern which gave off just enough light to see the stains of fresh tears and reddened eyes on the Vice President’s face. Eret instinctively reached for his weapon, only then remembering that he had thrown it on Dream’s floor an hour earlier. 

“You’re here for Fundy.” Eret lifted his head, catching the knowing expression on his supposed enemy’s face. He gave a slow, uncertain nod. Quackity let his lantern fall to his side, starting to say something but letting the thought fall away instead. The sound of a lock being fumbled drew them both to the tavern door. Fundy let half his body show through the entryway, holding the edge of the door tentatively. It was clear that he was hesitant to be so close to the traitor he once knew, yet he didn’t seem to carry the same hatred anymore. Fundy didn’t say anything, instead taking a steadying breath and giving a single nod to Eret. As the three came to an unspoken truce, Alex spoke the words that were on everyone’s mind.

“It’s time to go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These last few chapters are going to be shorter than others, it's mostly buildup to the grand finale. Thanks for the patience, my work load has been insane and I have to prioritize teaching over writing.


	20. Together We Can Turn the Tide

Niki was the one to spot them approaching in the early morning fog. She hadn’t been able to sleep well since she’d been taken into Pogtopia, and there was something refreshing about the bite of the wind blowing in the first light. She thought at first that her sleepless subconscious was seeing shapes of familiar faces in the haze. It wasn’t until those figures became closer, clearer that she realized it wasn’t a trick of the mind. 

Their encounter was almost surreal, Niki didn’t know how to respond to the sudden arrival. She was beyond happy to see Eret alive and well, but the last time she’d spoken to Fundy or Quackity was when they were freeing her from her prison and marching her out of L’Manberg. The only reason she didn’t flee was Eret’s reassurance that they could be trusted. 

It was a good thing Niki was the first one to be aware of their arrival, she was one of the only members who would give them a chance to explain themselves. She listened cautiously as they recounted their horrific realizations about Schlatt and how they had finally come to understand that they were following a man full of lies. It was time to turn the tide, and they knew the only thing left to do was admit their wrong doings and try to make things right again. Niki believed them.

When not one, but four people found their way down into the caverns of Pogtopia, the other four members surrounding the firepit were at a loss. It was deathly silent for only a moment, a fleeting moment, before both Tommy and Wilbur spoke at once.

“What’s going on?”

“ _What the hell?_ ”

Everyone but Tubbo rose to their feet, the swift movement causing the flames to dance and ash to scatter. It was a miracle that no one reached for a weapon, but the standoff between the newcomers and the long-time Pogtopia members was thick with distrust.

“Wil,” Niki started, voice soft but firm. “I’ve already spoken with them, they’re not here to harm us.”

“Tubbo.. You’re okay.” Quackity’s relieved voice sounded out once he caught sight of the boy.

“No thanks to you,” Tommy growled, stepping forward to confront the Vice President with a menacing stance. “How did you find us?”

“I led them here,” Eret admitted, stepping forward to shield Quackity.

“What do you mean, you led them here? How did you know where we were?" The confused and angered scowl Wilbur gave Eret caused Niki to quickly step in.

“He’s been helping you since the beginning Wil.”

“Who do you think was dropping off baskets of supplies every morning?” Eret gave a downcast smile. “You were never alone Wilbur.”

The ex-president turned away from the traitor, willing himself to forget about the night of the festival, when Eret had risked his own life to allow himself and Niki to escape. It was far easier to keep up the walls in his mind than tear them down.

“A few potatoes aren’t going to change the fact that you’re a traitor,” Wilbur spat. “That goes for all of you!” He motioned to Quackity and Fundy as well. “All of you have turned your backs on us, and you expect me to just let you walk into the only place of refuge we have left!”

Quackity stepped out again, holding his hands out to his side to further prove he meant no harm. “You have every right to question us, but at least hear us out. We’re here to help.”

“Excuse me for not immediately trusting the Vice President of the nation who tried to kill us literally four days ago,” Techno scoffed. Tommy gave a curt nod in agreement. 

“Arguing like this isn’t going to solve anything,” Niki reasoned.

“Taking in officials from the government who wants us dead isn’t going to solve anything either!” Techno countered.

It didn’t take long for the argument to quickly devolve into a shouting match. Everyone had taken a side, everyone but Tubbo, who had been listening silently the whole time.

Amongst the attempts to out yell each other, Tubbo gingerly pushed himself up from where he had been seated, wincing as he guided himself up along the wall. No one noticed the boy until he was taking slow, steady steps into the middle of the rising conflict.

“Stop.”

His voice wasn’t the loudest, but it caught the group’s attention nonetheless. All eyes turned to him, bodies untensing at the suddenly broken tension.

“Can we please just.. Stop.” Tubbo looked around, pausing to meet the gaze of the ragtag group that had found themselves in Pogtopia. “Haven’t we gone through enough already? Hasn’t there been enough fighting?”

He felt himself waiver, his head going dizzy for a moment, but he ignored it. Tommy reached out a hand to steady him, but he tenderly pushed it away. “These past months have been the hardest I’ve ever faced, and I’ve stood next to every one of you at some point during them, be it for better or worse. You can call me naive, but I believe that everyone in this room is a good person, despite what we may have done. I know we’ve had our differences, we may have even hated each other. I understand why you would all be upset with each other, I do. Trust me. But right now, we need to find it in ourselves to forgive each other.” 

There was barely a sound in response, nothing but looks of contemplation and pain shared among the survivors. Tubbo felt himself become aware of the eyes glued to him, expecting more. His head lowered ever so slightly.

“I know that healing takes time, and some of us have a lot of healing to do. We’ve all done things we regret. But just because we made mistakes in the past doesn’t mean we can’t grow from them. At the end of the day we’re all here for the same reason.” Tubbo paused, head tilting up again. “We’re here to stand against Schlatt, but more importantly, we’re here to support each other. I trust everyone in this room to do what’s right, I know you all wouldn’t be here if you didn’t truly stand for what’s good - if you didn’t stand for L’Manberg.”

Tommy was the first one to step back from the scuffle, moving closer to his best friend. He didn’t give any words indicating agreement, but his relenting said enough. Slowly, everyone else stood down. Tubbo’s words had done enough to at least open the door to reconciliation. 

With the boys lead, each member of Pogtopia - new and old - sat together around the fire. It was strange, being back together. It had been over a year since the original six members of L’Manberg found themselves in the same room, and the addition of the unlikely allies only added to the surrealness of it all. No one had expected they’d be here, it wasn’t something anyone could plan for. But the fact that they were _there_ , having everything taken from them, willingly or not, meant something. Each person chose to surrender themselves to the disadvantageous cause: the last remaining hope. 

“I think..” Tubbo started once he settled back down, positioning himself so his healing burns weren’t being irritated, “I think we all deserve the chance to explain our stories. We each have our own struggles, and once we understand them we can work on trusting each other.”

A few stiff nods came as a response, eyes darting around as if to ask who would start. Fundy shifted in his seat, slowly adjusting his posture. “I’d like to go first.” 

No one objected, and so he cleared his throat. “I just want to start by apologizing. I’ve hurt almost everyone in this room.. I should have been better. I shouldn’t have let my insecurities drive me down the path I took. When Schlatt came to me, he made a promise of an idealistic nation. He told me he had plans to change the world for the better, and I was foolish enough to fall for his bait. I lost sight of who I was, and who was the most important to me. I regret not standing up for the people Schlatt hurt. When I was in that cabinet, I told myself that I was doing great things, that _Schlatt_ was making L’Manberg a better place. And for a time, that was true, maybe. But Schlatt’s words and his actions didn’t align, and it took a disaster for me to finally wake up and realize how wrong I was all along.”

Quackity gave a nod of agreement, reaching out to place a comforting hand on Fundy’s arm as the man’s voice wavered. “I know I don’t deserve forgiveness, but I want to say from the bottom of my heart, how sorry I am.”

“I don’t think any of us truly deserve forgiveness, but that doesn’t mean you won’t receive it anyway.” Eret gave his old friend a melancholic smile, Fundy nodded in appreciation. He knew what those words meant, all of them did. 

So the rest of the day was spent around the fire, voices filling the confined space with recollections of struggle and regret. Everyone took time to speak out, all but Techno and Wilbur, who simply waved their turn on to the next person. By the end of it all the mood had changed drastically. Of course, the few hours spent together didn’t suddenly create or repair bonds of friendship, but there was now a shared connection between them all, something to unite them. It would be an uphill battle, but not an impossible one. 

As the conversation naturally came to a close, each person started moving, trying to find some sort of normalcy in the cavern. There were three new members now, each unsure of what to do to integrate themselves into Pogtopia. The atmosphere still maintained a bit of the tension from earlier, adjusting to the new situation would take time. The aggression had died out but there was a void now left that needed to be filled. It was like Tubbo said, they had to start somewhere, and at least now they had made an unspoken agreement to work towards building trust. For the time being the newcomers had decided to help the others reorganize the ravine for the increased population and reconnect with the faces they hadn’t seen in a while. The ones who wanted to be connected with, at least. 

Niki had been the one to approach Quackity, knowing he was the only one there who she’d truly seen as an enemy. He was the one to tell Schlatt of her secret escapades to help Pogtopia, he was the one who got her thrown in prison. She had forgiven him even before he told his story, but hearing how he’d been manipulated like the others only solidified her decision. He seemed relieved to have someone come to him first and offer grace for his previous actions. Honestly, he had half-accepted that no one would be willing to do so, and her gentle heart was what he needed at that moment. 

From further down in the ravine Eret was helping Tubbo collect the empty canteens to be filled in the nearby creek. The teen showed Eret the system they used to organize their food and water, noting that they’d need to find more with the new additions. Tubbo tried his best to stay on task, but his mind had been wandering. Eret took notice.

“Something on your mind?” he asked. Tubbo shrugged slowly. 

“Just thinking.” Eret nodded, clearing a space on one of their crates to allow them both to rest. He offered the boy a bottle of water, prompting him to drink. 

“You can talk to me. It can stay between us, if you want,” Eret offered.

In truth, Tubbo had been thinking about what Fundy said about the state of their nation. He had tried not to dwell on his time spent in Schlatt’s cabinet, but it was hard to ignore. So much had happened over the span of a few months. Change, both good and bad, had come at the hand of the new leader, and that weighed on the boy’s mind. Tubbo sat with his knees spread apart, raising his arms gently to push the hair from his face. Suddenly, in that moment, Eret thought Tubbo looked more adult than he had before.

“I know he did awful, terrible things, but Schlatt.. he made something out of L’Manberg.” The boy’s words were soft, as though he didn’t want to speak them. Eret shook his head slowly, giving Tubbo an assured stare.

“No. No, he didn’t. That was you Tubbo. You, Fundy, Quackity, you were the ones who made the country great. Schlatt just happened to be the one in charge when it happened.”

Tubbo didn’t reply, but a warmth spread through him at the thought. He didn’t know what to say in response, but he gave a grateful look to Eret. Somehow the older man always knew what to say to give Tubbo the solace he needed. He felt memories of earlier days flood into the forefront of his mind. Happiness, the pleasant recollections of when Eret had been Tubbo’s mentor. The long hours in the forge learning to craft metal goods, the late nights spent talking for hours, the knowledge that someone was looking out for him. Nothing much had changed since that, he realized. 

By that point everyone had moved from the circle, everyone but Wilbur. The leader sat, watching, contemplating, taking in the rapidly changing scene before him. Tommy was showing Fundy where they kept their stash of extra firewood. Techno, Niki, and Quackity were trying to sort out new sleeping arrangements. In an instant, they had all come together. What was it that made them so willing to trust in the traitors? Why was he trying to stop himself from doing the same? 

It couldn’t - no, it wouldn’t - be that easy to reconcile all he’d lost. Wilbur knew this wasn’t enough. They all seemed happy, content with each other. He was glad to see them find some ounce of joy, he couldn’t deny that. But there was something so.. _fleeting_ , about the moment. It wouldn’t last. They may have found solidarity in each other, but this wasn’t real. Pogtopia, the band of underdogs, this false sense of hope, it wouldn’t last. At the end of the day Schlatt had won, and there wasn’t anything they could do about it. No more valiant rebellions, no more unshakable ambition, no final stand, nothing could get back what they’d lost. It seemed that Wilbur was the only one who understood that. 

Everyone went to bed with a unanimous sense of placation that evening. Though the day had started off with hostility and distrust, no one seemed to be keeping one eye open as they settled into their less-than-comfortable sleeping arrangements. The likely cause was the fact that this ravine was all they had left, Wilbur thought. They had to find peace with it, because they had no other choice.

The thing that set Wilbur apart from everyone else was that he _did_ have a choice. For the others, there was only one plan; either they would fight and get back L’Manberg, or die trying. Wilbur, on the other hand, still had one final play up his sleeve.

The explosives were still planted under Manberg. 

There had been plenty of time to reflect on his fluctuating feelings about the action of pressing the button. He had gone back and forth long enough, it had all been stalled for far too long. After the failed attempt to detonate the explosives at the festival, Wilbur had been left feeling empty. He was convinced that that emptiness was because his end goal had remained unfinished. The only way to finally be free of the torment was to end it all, for good. There would be no rebuilding, there would be nothing left. That was the only way.

So Wilbur watched and waited. He was the last one to sleep and the first one to wake. He took in every detail of the happenings of Pogtopia the next day. Each moment shared between the members, each conversation, each seedling of regrowing friendships, it was all taken in. Each moment was etched in his mind, because that night, he would go down in flames with the country that he’d given his life to.

At first the thought of it made his heart sink. As he walked through the forest the next night, with nothing but his last remnants of freewill, he contemplated death. Originally he had planned on surviving, going on after it all came crashing down. He knew now why; it had never been for himself, it had been for Tommy. If he died, Tommy and Tubbo would be left with no one to follow and nowhere to go. He still cared for them, that had never changed, and though he didn’t consciously admit it, he knew that he was only keeping himself alive for them. But now, they had someone who would look after them. Niki was there, she loved them dearly. Fundy, Eret, even Quackity, would undoubtedly fill the void he left behind. Things would be okay. They’d be better off without him and without Manberg.

So as he neared the nation for the final time, he was content with death. It was comforting, knowing that he would be the master of his own demise. 

No one attempted to stop him as he walked through the streets. The city was empty, few patrons out in the late hours of the evening, and anyone who did happen to catch sight of him turned and went off in the opposite direction. He was free to make his way to the stage in the center of town. 

Seeing the decorations left exactly as they were the day of the festival gave Wilbur a sense of ironic glee. They were decrepit and worn, not designed to withstand the winter weather they’d endured over the past few days. The skeleton of the event remained untouched. Though the festival was long gone, the memory of it would still feel the final moments of the country.

Wilbur made his way onto the platform, walking slowly across the creaking wood. It had been months since he last stood there, and the feeling was strange. The last time he’d been there he was forced to hand over the presidency to a monster. He had been ousted mere minutes later. His partially gloved hand ran over the remains of the podium, wood splintered and charred from the detonation of the firework. So much sorrow and destruction had been caused in that place. It was good that it would be destroyed. 

The ex-president sat on the edge of the platform, one knee pulled to his chest to rest his arm on. He knew it would only be a matter of time before Schlatt showed up. Wilbur knew the man well, he knew Schlatt wouldn't resist the chance to taunt his enemy. He wouldn’t be killed, not at first at least. He’d have enough time to plant the seed of fear in Schlatt’s mind before pushing the button, setting the whole thing ablaze and ending it all. 

Wilbur had been right. It wasn’t more than ten minutes before Schlatt appeared, a shadow in the town square. He carried no lantern with him, and the deep black of his uniform acted as a cloak to conceal him in the night sky. The only source of light was the one Wilbur had brought with him, everything else inky dark.

“Wilbur Soot.” Schlatt’s voice was calm as he made his way up the steps to join him on the platform. Wilbur stood, hands in his pockets and gazing at the freshly formed stars. Schlatt’s eyes never left his old friend as he came nearer. “I figured you’d show up sooner or later.”

“Oh?” Wil questioned, swinging his head to make eye contact.

“You have unfinished business.”

Wilbur laughed, a quick chuckle, nodding nonchalantly. “I suppose. You did take my country from me, as well as my people.”

“If that’s how you want to put it, sure.” Schlatt crossed his arms over his chest, smiling ever so slightly. There was silence for a moment, Schlatt took a pleased sigh. “You know you lost.”

“I suppose I did.” Another silence. “It’s funny, losing. It’s all relative, isn’t it.”

Schlatt gave no response, squinting his eyes with an intrigued smile. Wilbur continued. “I mean, you think you’ve won, and by all accounts, you have. I’m gone, Tommy’s gone, your claws are dug deep into Manberg. But on the other hand, I believe _I’m_ the one who’s won.”

“Do enlighten me.”

“Where’s your Vice President. Where’s your cabinet.” Schlatt’s face fell, but he tried not to let it show, quickly covering it up with a laugh.

“You think I need them? They’re just people, they’re replaceable,” Schlatt moved to look out over the desolate square. “This - power, authority, _control_ \- this is what matters.”

Wilbur thought about that sentiment, it struck him and wouldn’t leave his mind. Schlatt really didn’t care about losing someone close to him, at least that was his attempted narrative. All he cared about was being the most powerful man, something clear from the start. That wasn’t Wilbur’s purpose, it never had been. It had always been about the people.

“That’s why you’ve lost, and you’ll continue to lose even long after I’m dead,” Wilbur retaliated, “You can’t control a nation using fear. You can’t maintain power without maintaining the people. You’re not the first one to try, and you won’t be the last one to fail.”

Schlatt let his face fall into an unnerving expression, bringing the tone of their conversation with him. “What do you have left Wilbur?”

The question caused him to furrow his brow, ready to give a sharp reply, but no such thing came out. He stopped, pondering it. Schlatt wanted the answer to be that he had nothing, but that wasn’t the truth. He had no country, he had no home, but he wasn’t alone. His mind drifted to the last memories he’d etched into his brain of the camaraderie and support in the depths of Pogtopia. He did have something left, something far more valuable than a presidency. 

“I have friends who will stand by me. I have people to trust in.”

Schlatt grinned, nodding. Wilbur’s mouth went dry. “Exactly.”

Schlatt leapt down from the platform, leaving Wilbur alone on the stage. His heart rate began to increase, he could feel the involuntary biological reaction all too clearly. Something was wrong. 

“I know why you came here tonight,” Schlatt confessed, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out an unidentifiable object. “Like I said, you came here to finish what you started.”

Before he could react, Wilbur watched the item in Schlatt’s hand fly onto the stage, landing at his feet. His blood ran cold, his body lurched downwards.

The button.

“They’re not here anymore, the explosives. I moved them.” Wilbur’s eyes shot to Schlatt’s face, colorless. Everything he had planned, his final moment, ripped away. He was at a loss for words. 

“I liked your plan. In fact, I liked it so much that I decided to use it for myself.”

“What do you mean?” Wilbur sputtered, but deep down he already knew. Schlatt began backing away from Wilbur but his voice still rang out loud and clear. 

“I sent someone out to your ravine the moment you stepped foot in my country. I’m sure you’re well aware of how much damage your TNT can do.” Schlatt began fading back into the void of the night, but his malicious smile remained seared in Wilbur’s vision. 

“Now what do you have left Wilbur?”

Fear. Dread and fear.

There was nothing but dread and fear pulsing through Wilbur’s entire being as he sprinted back to the cavern he’d called home for months. In his hysterical state he stumbled over exposed roots, shrubs tugged at his worn, brown coat. He felt nothing, not the wind hitting his face or the sting of the cold. Nothing but fear and dread.

There wouldn’t be anything left. Pogtopia would cave into itself, the rubble would bury any last remnants of the people he loved. The people he loved.

He loved them. He loved Tommy and Tubbo. He loved Niki. He loved Techno, he loved Fundy, and Eret, and everyone who stood with him when L’Manberg rose against the oppressors that faced them. All this time he had what mattered. His own demented mind had convinced him that he was broken and defeated. He’d fed into the lies, he believed them. Even despite what he saw in front of him, no matter how many times his friends proved their undying love and support, he threw it aside. He had been an idiot. He had ruined it all. How had it taken him so long to break free of his own mind’s prison and understand that it was all a lie. He still had his friends, the only thing that truly mattered. 

And he was going to lose them.

It was too dark to see the smoke and dust that the destruction would leave behind, but Wilbur still strained his eyes to find some evidence of it through the half-baren trees that filled the forest. It took all he had not to imagine the last horrific moments his friends endured before the rocks came crashing down on top of them. His heart tightened in his chest with each step, and every moment he couldn’t find a sign of the disaster he felt himself heave out an unsure breath. He wasn’t far from it now. Surely he would feel the wake of the explosion, smell the gunpowder and inhale the dust. 

When the entrance to Pogtopia came into view, there was no sign of a detonation. He skidded to a stop, breathing out heavy pants as his eyes scanned the area. It was still, eerily so. No sign of life, yet also no sign of death.

“Tommy!” Wilbur called out, barely louder than his normal speaking voice. “Niki?”

He took another step closer, reaching out a trembling hand, as though touching the stone outcropping would make it all crumble beneath his fingers. He strained his ears, not daring to step into the cavern below. From beneath the earth he swore he heard the faint mumble of conversation. There was no indication of the explosives, or that anyone but himself had been there. Had Schlatt been lying? Or was his grieving mind playing a twisted trick on him?

Wilbur had to force himself to let go of his cautiousness and the fear of what he might lose. He ran in, skipping steps as he made his way into the depths. From the entrance into the ravine, a warm, orange glow emanated. His heart leapt.

In an instant he had broken into the cavern, the cavern that was still standing. Nothing was out of place, no sign of danger. No sign of TNT.

“Wil?” Niki’s concerned voice cut through the silence, Wilbur lost all control. He sprinted full speed towards her, catching her in his arms and bringing them both to their knees. Niki was shocked, tensing beneath his strangling grasp. She struggled out a breath, but didn’t pull back; she felt the way his lungs heaved in his chest, the rapid beat of his heart. This was Wilbur, these emotions were real. She wrapped her arm around the back of his head, and in that moment they were one soul. He was home. 

Everyone else stood on in confused awe as Wilbur Soot - the General, the President, the face of L’Manberg - crumpled to the floor in a mess of broken sobs. 

Something had changed in Wilbur that night. It was always there, hidden deep beneath his subconscious, purposefully hidden away by the mentally ill leader. After years of building anxiety and distrust, he had lost all sense of himself. He had been the shell of who he truly was. He had convinced himself that anyone he once had was gone - only when he came to believe that it was really ripped away from him was he able to break free of his mental blockade. Wilbur couldn’t hide behind his pain, he couldn’t give into his paranoia. 

Everything had to change, or he would truly lose it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp.  
> Sorry to ghost yall for nearly a month, but life be like that sometimes. To make it up, have some good old angst.   
> This term's almost over, expect good things in the next month (and by that I mean the last chapters of the book. Hopefully).


End file.
